ATHLEISURE LIST | BURKE WILLIAMS SPA

We enjoy beauty treatments tailored to our needs! Burke Williams' Chief of Treatments, Diane Hibbard talked with us about this spa. Although they launched in 1984, the origin of spa culture traces back to the healing properties of water. They embrace this tradition by offering a range of spa amenities designed to promote healing and wellness through water immersion. Their facilities boast an array of options, including showers, saunas, steam rooms, and jacuzzis, each meticulously crafted to enhance your journey to rejuvenation. Whether it's the simple relief of icing sore joints or the profound relaxation of submersion, water holds the power to soothe, heal, and restore your body, mind, and spirit. Across their 11 locations in California, Burke Williams integrates water experiences seamlessly into their serene settings, inviting you to embark on a transformative experience.

Guests can expect a sanctuary-like ambiance where their need for rest and rejuvenation is met with care. Each location offers a unique atmosphere and decor, providing a distinct and memorable experience. Quiet rooms offer tranquil spaces for relaxation, while the healing properties of water infuse the air, enhancing the sensory experience. From the soothing sounds of running water to the calming aroma of essential oils, every detail is meticulously curated to create a serene environment conducive to healing and renewal, enveloping guests in a cocoon of tranquility from the moment they arrive.

Treatments focus on 3 distinct intentions: Rest, Awaken, and Heal and you can choose the desired treatment that focuses on these categories.

For those seeking Rest, the Tranquility Massage incorporates sound bowls and can be followed by a Nourishing Facial and Luxe Pedicure. These treatments include extended massages and essential elements to help you escape the stresses of everyday life.

For those looking to Awaken their bodies, we suggest their Regenerate Facial which has cutting-edge technology in anti-aging treatment to awaken collagen production and promote skin renewal. Their Vitality Massage offers a transdermal delivery of Vitamin B12.

To Heal, their Deep Tissue Massage targets muscle recovery and repair, while the Rescue Facial addresses breakouts and blemishes, delivering powerful results for pain relief, skin damage, and other concerns.

Their co-ed lounge is a serene space designed for relaxation and enjoyment. Guests can unwind, socialize, and sip on tea while indulging in their spa experience.

BURKE WILLIAMS SPA

450 N. Oak St

Inglewood, CA 90302

Click the link to find your nearest location in California

burkewilliams.com

IG @burke_williams

PHOTOGRAPHY | Burke Williams Spa

Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Burke Williams Spa in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | NOBU BARBUDA

Nobu Barbuda is a bar and lounge on the island of Barbuda, it is only accessible by yacht or private boat charter, private helicopter charter, ferry and twice daily flights from Antigua.

This season, a new addition to Nobu Barbuda is the enchanting Tree Bar, a rustic yet charming hidden gem nestled amidst the lush tropical foliage and pink sandy beaches of Barbuda. Guests can sip on handcrafted cocktails, savor delicious Nobu cuisine, and enjoy the stunning sea views.

Nobu Barbuda invites guests to experience a day-trip on its private charter boat, starting with a snorkeling experience in the Caribbean Sea. Guests can enjoy a lunch of Nobu's world-renowned cuisine.

This beach club is an all-day Nobu experience unlike any other, with sun beds and private cabanas stretched across the pristine beaches of the island with personal hosts for the day.

Couples can enjoy cabanas for two outfitted with a hanging bed, and groups will love the larger VIP cabana featuring private dining, chairs, and a full living room for seclusion. Exclusive cabana menu items like a selection of sushi and light bento box, and beach-front massages are available upon request. Additional beach club amenities include beverage service from 10:00am to 6:00pm; dry snacks, chips and dried fruits; bottled water; chaise lounges with plush matresses and towel service; and showers and changing rooms. The beach club also offers a Caribbean style lounge bar, where guests can enjoy Nobu style dishes, caught fresh from the sea surrounding the island.

As the sun sets on the Caribbean Sea, guests can experience an exclusive six-course Omakase and beverage pairing experience on Princess Diana Beach for Sunset Omakase.

Set as an exclusive reception style event, Nobu Barbuda combines island and Japanese elements with the launch of its first Beach Barbecue. Guests will be treated to Robata yaki grilled fish and skewers, Nobu style local seafood Paella, passed canapes, sushi, ceviche's and salads. Entertainment will be provided by local DJs for this Nobu-style festive event.

Snorkel to the chef's lobster craw trap and select a fresh Barbuda spiny lobster. Guests will bring back their fresh catch and have it prepared by the Nobu chef for their Lobster Cookoff.

Nobu Barbuda invites guests to learn the craft of the perfect sushi roll under the expert guidance of the Executive Sushi Chef, for this immersive experience. Guests will be seated at the new sushi bar overlooking the stunning ocean views for a hands-on workshop to learn the art of sushi-making, including techniques on sushi maki and nigiri and incorporating local items such as conch, snapper, spiny lobster and the famous Barbuda roll.

NOBU BARBUDA

Prince Diana Beach,

Codrington, Antigua & Barbuda

noburestaurants.com/barbuda

IG @nobubarbuda

PHOTO CREDITS | Nobu Barbuda

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nobu Barbuda in mag.

IN GOOD TASTE | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO, CHEF KRISTEN KISH, AND GAIL SIMMONS

We're excited this month's cover of Athleisure Mag is graced by Chef Kristen Kish (S10 winner of Top Chef, Fast Foodies, Restaurants at the End of the World), Chef Tom Colicchio (A Place at the Table, The Simpsons, Billions), and Gail Simmons (Royal Pains, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Food That Built America). We sat down with them ahead of the S21 premiere of Bravo's Top Chef Wisconsin. We talked with Kristen who is on the other side of the judging table as a host as well as her fellow judges Tom and Gail! In our interview, we spoke about the impact of this iconic food competition show, their approach to judging the dishes, what they hope viewers and fans enjoy when watching this show, and why filming is a bit like Summer Camp!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk to you guys as we have been fans of the show ever since the beginning! We have interviewed each of you individually over the years on various projects that you have been involved in, but to be able to have you guys as our cover for this month and to have you all together as S21 premieres on March 20th is amazing!

What was the dish that you fell in love with that made you realize that you wanted to be in the culinary industry?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: Oh wow! Well I can tell you the first thing that I ever made when I was 5!

AM: Yeah!

CHEF KK: It was a chocolate pudding, but there was no chocolate or pudding. I saw my mom make Thanksgiving gravy and she would thicken it with cornstarch slurry and she would refrigerate it. It comes out and it looks gelatinized and so when I started watching cooking shows before I had any concept of food, flavor, or actual technique, I was like, “I could make a chocolate pudding.” So I had soy sauce, thickener, and cornstarch. I did that and it sat in the refrigerator and my dad came home from work and gave it a try and he said it was great and off I went!

AM: Oh my goodness, I love that!

GAIL SIMMONS: That’s a good dad!

AM: That was sweet. And Tom!

CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: It was no particular dish. I’m actually writing a book called Why I Cook.

AM: Nice!

CHEF TC: During the pandemic I was doing a lot of these Zoom cooking classes and I kept coming back to certain themes. There were 2 things in particular, both around my grandfather that I think led me to food. One, at a young age, I used to fish with my grandfather and I was responsible for 2 things – one cleaning all of the fish and crabs and clams before my mother and grandmother cooked them and my second job was keeping my grandfather awake on the ride home. So that was always fun! That meal, because it was a larger meal, it was 20 people around the table and I think that somehow I took away from that was that’s what food does, it brings people around the table. That was probably more important than the food itself.

Then I struggled as a kid with ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed back then and my children are all clinically diagnosed and I found that cooking was something that I could figure out very easily. It came very easily to me. Once I started working in the kitchen, all that chaos just cut through the clutter in my brain and I was able to hyper focus on my cooking.

So it’s not a particular dish, but those are the 2 sort of memories that led me to a career of cooking.

AM: I love that. Gail?

GS: Again, I also don’t think that it was one particular dish, it wasn’t that one moment. My mother was an amazing cook when I was growing up and she had a cooking school that was run out of our house and wrote a column for our national newspaper of Canada as a way to be able to stay home and also work while her children were small. I had 2 older brothers and there was a lot of noise in our house. I think that it was just watching her do this all the time! She ran these classes in our house so there were always people in our home, she was always entertaining and I just saw how much pleasure it gave her and everyone and how fulfilling it was for her to nourish people and to feed people.

I remember that this wasn’t a real dish, but my favorite thing to do as a child while my mom was in the kitchen cooking was to put my little wooden stool at the sink and she would put a big pot in the sink and let me just invade her spice cabinets and I would squirt a bit of this and drizzle a little bit of that and take a big wooden spoon and I would make soup. It allowed us to be together and it gave me such purpose in doing that with her and it was just this imaginary game where I could be a chef and I think that that was sort of that feeling where this was just something that could sustain others and make me feel great and I just sort of loved that feeling of being in the kitchen.

AM: Wow that’s such a memory.

Well, Gail and Tom, you guys have been on Top Chef for 21 seasons and just seeing everything through this food competition, what initially drew you to being part of it and what do you hope that fans are getting out of it when they are watching you guys?

GS: Drew us to be a part of it. I don’t think that either of us were drawn to being part of it because when we started, it wasn’t a thing. There was no food competition reality shows. There was Iron Chef Japan, but obviously that was a very different kind of competition. So this was a real trailblazer at the time and when they came to both of us, neither of us knew what they were talking about, nor were we that interested necessarily because it didn’t seem like a rational thing to do with your career at that moment. I was working at Food & Wine Magazine and actually Bravo came to Food & Wine to partner with them, to teach them about the restaurant and food world and to help them with sort of part of the prize and to learn about the industry. They said, well in exchange, if we like one of your editors, we’ll put them on the judging table to represent the magazine as this partnership. I was chosen to be that person, but I very clearly remember that when my publisher gave me that news, I was sort of terrified!

AM: Gulp!

GS: But I was doing it for my job and I knew that I would still have a job after even if no one liked the show. I had this totally different job with the magazine and this became a side thing to try out to sort of – as a lark. But I knew that Tom was doing it and I had known Tom for many years. But more importantly, the magazine really trusted him. He was a Food & Wine Best Chef, James Beard Award Winner, and I knew that there was going to be a moral compass to the show because of that. So we headed out to San Francisco with very little expectations and I think that that has been the greatest surprise that it exceeded anything that I could have imagined!

CHEF TC: For me, I said no 3 times before finally being coerced into saying yes. I got a call from the producer who said they were doing a show and we think that you would be great. There was a show around that time that featured a chef and it wasn’t a competition and I was like, I don’t want to do that. Then they sent me some DVDs of Project Greenlight and I loved that show.

AM: Same!

CHEF TC: So they sent someone to get me on camera and they asked if I could come in for a screen test and I said no I’m not going in for that. There was a documentary done by a producer from ABC News on the opening of Craft so I sent them that and they said, they wanted to make an offer.

Part of the reason that I said yes and my wife always says that I shouldn’t tell that story, but I will! I got tired of going to food festivals and I’m sitting next to Bobby Flay and he signs 300 books and I signed 20 and I didn’t think that it was because he had a better book, it was because he was on TV!

GS: That’s a great piece of the story! Like if you were living in NY at that moment, everybody knew Tom Colicchio!

AM: Absolutely.

GS: He was the NY chefiest chef! He was the chef-y-chef and still is to the end! But he was such a NY icon, and there wasn’t like a history or a precedent yet where there were chefs that had huge national followings except for the few that were on Food Network. You had Bobby, Emeril, Wolfgang, and that was sort of it. So I think that that sort of recalibrated things.

CHEF TC: What I hope that the viewing audience gets from what we do is that – one thing that just drives me crazy is when people think that there is some kind of game that we are playing. That we are trying to promote one person over another. We don’t care who wins. I’m not a fan.

AM: We can see that when you’re talking on the show.

CHEF TC: Right. I’m not a fan, I’m there to do a job and to be as honest as possible. I hope that that comes across. We’re not playing favorites, we’re not saying that a woman won last season so a man needs to be in this one. No, we don’t care. We judge on the food and that’s it. The only thing that I asked the producers from day one is that judges make decisions. So far, we have made every single decision.

GS: And we have never regretted one either!

CHEF TC: Right! There is that little disclaimer that they say that they help us. If we’re stuck, they’ll say, “well you said this or you said that – what do you think about this?” But they don’t make the decision.

AM: It’s more like running the tape.

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: Exactly! It’s kind reminding us of things that we’ve said and trying to get us to discuss. But that happens so infrequently! It happened in a few finales where we were really stuck and because also I think in the finales we pay more attention to it because there is so much on the line and some of them were so close that it would just come down to –

GS: Tiny nitpicking things.

CHEF TC: But, yeah, that’s it.

AM: Kristen, we love that you won Season 10 and it has been great to see you come back for various guest judging, but now you’re on the other side as a host! How do you feel about that and what does it feel like to know how it is on both sides of the table?

CHEF KK: I mean – it’s still a wild thing to know that this is happening! But you know, I will say that having competed, guest judging and obviously when I was done with my season, developing a relationship with these two that went far beyond then the actual show itself, like coming back into it already felt like you were coming back into a family setting. You see producers that have been there since my season and long before, these 2 obviously, I’m very familiar with and so as new as the position was, me coming in and being with these people wasn’t a new thing. So that brought a lot of comfort. I think really the main difference between competing and judging and now hosting is that I get to be part of the whole thing! I get to experience all of the chefs and all of the different variations that they are and regardless of how long that they are there, I get to be there for the whole thing which is pretty fantastic! I also get to say that, “you’re Top Chef!”

GS: For us, where we stood, filling Padma’s (Top Chef, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant) very high heel shoes, there were very few people that we thought would fit all of that and I think that in a way, it was a very obvious choice to us. Especially because, we knew that we didn’t need to bring in for the 21st season, someone who had never been part of the show before.

AM: Right.

GS: It only made sense because we had created this massive family of 300+ chefs over the seasons who have gone on to such success that it would only make sense to bring someone in who had already been part of it and Tom and I were not the ones that were making the decision, let’s be clear about that. We were involved in the conversations, but it was just so natural and it made such great sense, because she has become such a leader in the industry because she won a season and went on to just – I mean, we have been sitting there being so proud of her for a decade watching as a friend! So, it just felt like the most natural, possible choice.

CHEF TC: I had conversations with the producers and no other name came up!

AM: There you go! We were so happy when we heard that it was you!

CHEF KK: Me too, me too!

AM: What did you guys love about being in Wisconsin for this season and where would you like to see it go for the next one?

GS: Wisconsin was interesting. We were just talking about this. We have been to every corner of this country at this point and we have been abroad, you know our last season, our 20th season Top Chef: World All-Stars was a massive milestone by being able to shoot the entire season in London and in Paris. That was extraordinary, but coming back home to the heartland, we hadn’t explored the Midwest. We were in Chicago in 2007 and that feels like it was an eternity ago especially in the life of restaurants. So I think that it was great to be able to go back to that part of the country and to explore its foodways (Editor’s Note: In social science, foodways are the cultural, social, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food. Foodways often refer to the intersection of food in culture, traditions, and history.), its indigenous culture, its agriculture, its history, the immigrant populations that brought so much of its food culture, and I don’t know, we had the greatest time! We ate a lot of cheese, we drank a lot of beer.

CHEF KK: There was a lot of custard!

GS: Oh yeah, frozen custard was obviously a highlight.

CHEF KK: I mean, thinking about where to go, I have only been to Milwaukee and Madison so the possibilities on my end – I mean wow, there’s so many places that we can go far and wide. But even from their perspective, they can speak to that, but after 21 seasons, there are just countless places that we can go and there are just so many options.

CHEF TC: The best parts of the show and they don’t get enough credit, the producers do such a great job. They’re on the ground 4 months before production starts, digging through, looking at different foodways, looking for interesting locations and really sort of teasing out some of these challenges. The team spends so much time doing it and yeah, we do a little bit of research. I mean, Gail does all of the research on the restaurants. I just tag along!

GS: I know where to go for dinner afterwards!

CHEF TC: But they do such a great job of researching for us and every season, it’s just beautiful because that location becomes its own character.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF TC: It becomes a real backdrop for everything that we do. Wisconsin was so great and the people were really friendly and so easy to work with.

GS: Coming from London, London was extraordinary for all the reasons that it was extraordinary, but London –

CHEF TC: Britain didn’t care about us!

GS: The UK doesn’t have Top Chef!

AM: Right.

GS: Their culture is all MasterChef all of the time.

CHEF TC: And the Queen died.

GS: Then the queen died in the middle of our season.

AM: Yes, that’s right!

GS: So then they really didn’t care about us. It was sort of refreshing, I liked that, but we were completely anonymous, no one cared, no one made a fuss over us, but sometimes you want a little fuss. I mean, you just want people to care that you’re there – just a little bit. Although I think it made us work harder and it challenged us in the best way, but coming back to Milwaukee – they were like – I mean, they were ready to welcome us with open arms! And that felt really nice.

AM: Love that!

And what about the 15 cheftestants this this season? Is there anything that we should keep an eye out for or what you were excited about or whatever you can share?

GS: I think that it’s really interesting that they’re fun, they’re all really good people, and they have great stories. Again, our casting team does the most amazing job because you think it’s just about casting the 15 best cooks that you can cast, but there are so many factors beyond that and our industry has changed so much and I think that it’s sort of a chicken and egg situation. Did we help mold the industry trends or did the industry trends help mold the show? I think that there is such an interesting interplay there, but you know, the diversity of our cast now versus 12 seasons ago in all senses right? Obviously people of color, we have always had a 50/50 women to men ratio which let me assure you is not the ratio in the real industry

CHEF TC: That’s right.

GS: It is such a massive undertaking casting people who are not only at the top of their game, but all have stories to tell and all can cook and talk at the same time, have perspectives and points of view that will carry over to our audience. It’s just an amazing thing the cast every season and the people that we meet and what we learn about them. I think that this year you will see a few really interesting things. Obviously stories from parts of the world from where they come from, their origins that we have never seen before which definitely is played out on their dishes and also, we’re talking a lot more about what it is like to cook with a disability in the kitchen. Which, this isn’t something that we have faced in a big way on this show. The chef who is actually from Wisconsin, Chef Dan Jacobs, the local chef and he has an amazing story to tell and I just think that it ups the level of appreciation for the craft.

CHEF TC: I think that this season, the chefs were somewhat a little inconsistent. One challenge, a chef would do amazing and then the next challenge it was – what happened? It was just hard to figure out –

GS: It kept us on our toes!

CHEF TC: It could have been nerves.

AM: Just looking at your face, we can see how you didn’t understand how that could happen.

CHEF TC: It was just so hard to understand because there were these ups and downs. But it was a great season and it was a lot of fun.

CHEF KK: It means that the challenges were very good though.

CHEF TC: Yeah, yeah.

CHEF KK: Because it challenged different parts of you and you couldn’t consistently be great at everything.

GS: And the same person wasn’t always on top.

CHEF TC: Yeah, it was an interesting season and there’s some fun stuff! We had a Sausage Race!

AM: When I saw that, I was like yes! Because I’m from the Midwest originally – I’m from Indiana!

GS: Oh!

AM: I was like what? They’re sharing the Sausage Race from the Milwaukee Brewers?

GS: It was the best! It was low hanging fruit. That kind of sounded dirty, but you know what I mean!

AM: Yes!

This season each episode is supersized for 75 mins. There wasn’t a Quick Fire in the first episode, the way immunity is handled – so what are the different twists that we can expect from this season?

CHEF KK: You know, I think that I’m really the most excited that I think midseason that’s after Restaurant Wars or something like that – that Tom and Gail are also part of the Quick Fire. So all 3 of us get to have the same conversation.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF KK: Include it into the deliberation if you need it. It’s also nice to have the company and to have a little bit more time with them. So for me, that was one of the more fun changes that happened to do it with them.

AM: With the Elimination Challenge on the first episode, each of you had a task that the 15 cheftestants were divided to create 1 of 3 dishes. What was the thought behind the soup (Kristen’s Challenge), the roasted chicken (Tom’s Challenge), and the stuffed pasta (Gail’s Challenge)? Which we loved all of those.

GS: I think that we see patterns over the years right? We have been sitting in these chairs for a really long time Tom and I, longer than we want to admit and we see patterns in cooking. We see trends come and go, but even in the foundations of cooking, I feel that we and our producers have seen things that recur in good ways and bad, over and over again. There are certain foundations and techniques that every chef should have mastered long ago when they get to this stage, but amazingly, they get to the Top Chef Kitchen and it’s not that they don’t know how to make a roast chicken –

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: And we know that they do it beautifully in their own kitchens.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Or not.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Some of them not.

ALL: Hahaha

GS: But it trips them up and they freeze and so we just wanted to first of all, put them in check and also, make sure that they understand that they shouldn’t be calling it in because something that seems really simple that we see so often on the show can be problematic and also for Kristen, I think that it was a great introduction for the first challenge because she had such a vivid memory in her season.

CHEF KK: We had to make a soup in order to make it to Seattle in the first place. So I cooked for Emeril in Vegas and there were 5 or 6 of us. You had to get his stamp of approval on the soup before you went on. So that was an easy choice for me!

CHEF TC: Roast chicken – if you’re a chef of this caliber and you can’t make a great roast chicken, maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing!

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: But also, there’s a certain maturity that you attain when you’re cooking for years, when you’re comfortable enough to leave something alone. I wanted to see who was going to over chef it.

AM: Right!

CHEF TC: Right? Versus having the confidence to just leave the roast chicken alone. I thought that it was a good way to start.

AM: Love that!

We all have our favorites whether it’s Restaurant Wars or certain guest judges that come in. What were your exciting moments of this season?

CHEF KK: Restaurant Wars was awesome! Restaurant Wars is fantastic and I love it so much. If I could ever go back in my life and redo one thing, it would be Restaurant Wars. I let it go.

GS: It ended up ok!

CHEF TC: I think you did alright!

CHEF KK: I just want to prove that I can do it! But it was nice to be part of it from the other side and now to be able to watch it when I see that episode – to see the thought process and the strategy that was played because I didn’t think about it in that way. So, throughout the season, I’m learning a lot about how to compete on Top Chef and I’m never going to do it again in terms of competing on Top Chef. But to also learn a thing or two with different perspectives and great chefs around the country who have something to teach us as well.

GS: I love all the challenges that take them out of the kitchen to cook in weird and wonderful places – on a farm, on a beach, in a baseball stadium. I think that it just changes everything and it gives us energy and it inspires us. But I also think that learning – everywhere we go as we obviously say – there are foodways, there are local traditions that we get to learn about and over the last several seasons gratefully, we have incorporated the indigenous foodways of everywhere we are – in Portland (S18), in Houston (S19), and certainly in this season in Milwaukee and I think that it really helps you take a step back from the way you think of food in the modern kitchen and in that sort of modernist way and we think that the way that we think of produce and agriculture gives us so much perspective as cooks.

CHEF TC: One of my favorite challenges was the Door County Fish Fry.

GS: Oh my God, wild!

CHEF TC: And the reason being was that there was this guy that does fish fry’s, probably 300 a year and he had a very specific way of doing it. We were all in the parking lot actually watching this happen and if you watch it with chef eyes, you’re like, “this is ridiculous. Why are you doing this?” You’re going against everything that you are taught. But the guy has been doing this a long time and it blew my mind that the chefs weren’t really paying attention to what he was doing. They were just like, I’m going to do it my way.

GS: Or I can make it better!

CHEF TC: Right, I can make it better. Yeah and it was interesting to watch.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF TC: We also at some point, they were all calm and then you saw them all come to this realization that they really should have listened. Should have paid attention.

GS: They definitely should have paid attention in math class that day!

CHEF TC: Yeah.

AM: What can you tell us if anything about the finale that we should be looking forward to?

GS: I don’t know what we can tell you about the finale – there is a finale!

AM: There you go! There’s going to be people there.

CHEF TC: There’s people there.

GS: It’s not in Wisconsin. Every year it’s always a little different.

AM: So Tom, you always say that shooting this show is like Summer Camp.

CHEF TC: Yeah!

AM: What do you mean by that?

CHEF TC: Well I didn’t go to Summer Camp, but if I had –

AM: Neither have I.

CHEF TC: You go to Summer Camp, you have those friends. You see them for 6 weeks in the summer and you go back every summer and you see them. When we do this show, there’s probably 150 people on a crew these days. There has probably been about a quarter or 50 that have been doing this for 10+ years and so you see your summer friends. These are our summer friends and you hang out with them. You go out to dinner and a bunch of us play instruments and we get together and play so it’s fun!

GS: There are a lot of campfires!

CHEF TC: Yeah and it’s a fun get together and you fall right back into relationships as soon as you get there. It’s just immediately you’re right back into Summer Camp.

AM: What instrument are you playing?

CHEF TC: I play guitar!

AM: That’s what we thought!

CHEF KK: He’s very good!

GS: I play the cowbell! I’m joking!

AM: Kristen, what are you playing?

CHEF KK: If there was a keyboard, I would be playing.

CHEF TC: We’re going to get you a little accordion!

GS: Oh yeah!

CHEF KK: I will learn to play the accordion!

CHEF TC: Absolutely, we’re going to get you one so you can play.

AM: When we’re in the kitchen, we always love our favorite playlists while we’re making our dishes. What are 3 songs that you like listening to when you’re cooking?

CHEF KK: I don’t know if there is a particular song. But in my restaurant kitchen, there’s certain kinds of music that we go with the Beyonce, Whitney Houston vibe.

GS: Wow.

CHEF KK: Everyone loves it – it’s not politically drawn any which way.

AM: It’s just good sounds.

CHEF KK: It’s solid music. A lot of Earth, Wind, & Fire as well. At home, I listen to Van Morrison because I have great memories of my dad. My mom in the summertime in Michigan, all the windows in the house open and spring cleaning starts and my dad has like a CD player in the kitchen and it would blast through the house – Van Morrison – so for me, I always like to listen to Van Morrison.

AM: Tom?

CHEF TC: God, It all depends on what I am in the mood for.

GS: Yeah.

CHEF TC: I often cook with reggae and Grateful Dead - Anthony Bourdain just rolled over one time in his grave because he hates them, but it all depends. I do like cooking with music especially when I’m home.

We do have music in the kitchen here in NY at Craft, I stay out of it! I walk down there sometimes and I’m like, what the heck? But it’s like, do whatever you want.

AM: Gail?

GS: I would say the same. I love when I can be in my zone in my kitchen. I don’t like talking to people when I’m cooking, it's my quiet happy place. Everyone in my house knows that it’s my space. It’s not to say that I don’t speak to my family. I can also get them involved. But when I am in a rhythm with music, it really is my meditation in so many ways that that zone that you get into – but I listen to all kinds of things depending on my travels, where I have been, what’s happening in the moment. My husband actually works in the music industry. He creates playlists so there’s always playlists on my Spotify made from him. It also depends on my kids. My daughter has very strong opinions about the music so when she comes home she’ll often change it, but I just love a rhythm when I am cooking for sure.

AM: My last question has 3 parts, and is part of our feature, THE 9LIST 9M3NU, this month, it looks at: a) why you enjoy cooking in the Spring; b) what are spices that you enjoy cooking; and c) for Tom and Kristen, what are 3 dishes that we can enjoy are your restaurants and Gail, what are 3 dishes that we could enjoy if we were at your home?

GS: That’s a big 3 part question!

AM: We did this recently with Alton Brown and he got such a kick out of it!

So what do you love about the Spring when you are creating your dishes?

CHEF KK: I’m just excited to be out of fall! Because growing up in a 4 season kind of place, Austin is very different. I had to learn what food seasons there were. You had two tomato seasons – there’s a long story behind that. But you have 2 tomato seasons, 2 strawberry seasons. But I mean, for any season change that happens, by the time fall is nearing an end, I can’t do any more with squashes. I’m ready for the green fresh and the vibrancy! Now that my wife has started gardening, she has a whole Spring list that she is excited about. I’m excited about the fresh stuff at home and to be out of the fall vegetables!

CHEF TC: This time of year, morels, peas, and asparagus, fava beans, and rhubarb. I just shot photos of a book that I’m working on yesterday and it was Spring. There’s nothing happening in Spring right now although we had some great weather, but nothing is coming out of the ground yet. But in California, it’s already Spring and we had a bunch of stuff there that we shipped in. You know, it’s my favorite time to cook. I think that part of it is that it is Spring Renewal and you’re coming out of the winter, food becomes lighter, fresher, greener. The flavors are something that I really enjoy!

GS: I think that there is a reason that if you think about the rhythms of the world, like even in religion – Passover, Easter, or Eid, they all happen in the exact same time of year for a reason because it’s renewal, it’s celebration of the Earth and all of the waking up of the world again and so Spring is absolutely the best time of year to cook. All of the early berries and the rhubarb. All of the peas – I could eat peas all of the time, every moment of the year! But I don’t because they are so much sweeter and I like to eat them in the Spring and asparagus. All the fresh herbs, everything comes to life and I just feel like there is so much flavor there and you don’t realize until you get to cook with them, how much you have missed them through the cold winter months!

AM: Very true!

What are 3 spices that you like cooking with?

CHEF KK: Ooo someone else take this first so I can think about this one!

GS: Not together, but right now that I have been leading on a lot, sumac, smoked paprika, and cardamom. Again, not together!

AM: Right.

GS: But they are 3 spices that I find really add dimension to whatever I’m cooking.

CHEF TC: I love sumac! I always forget about sumac.

GS: I’m going to bring you some! I’m going to bring you some! I just received this giant pint container of the most beautiful sumac that I have ever tasted.

CHEF TC: Spice wise, pepper, black pepper, and long pepper which you don’t see a lot of. Fennel seed, I just can’t get enough of that!

GS: Oh me too!

CHEF TC: I absolutely love it, it’s one of my favorites. Gail and I are lovers of licorice, right here. The black ones, not the red stuff that’s candy. Actual licorice is my favorite.

GS: Ooo White Taragon is my favorite!

CHEF TC: Fennel – wild fennel fronds woo!

GS: Delicious!

CHEF TC: It’s the best!

CHEF KK: I agree on the black pepper! However, I like to toast my black pepper. So I toast my peppercorns before they go into the grinder. It just adds a whole other dimension of flavor. One of my favorite spice blends is Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: I love you for that answer!

CHEF KK: It’s so good!

GS: If I didn’t love you before, I love you now!

CHEF KK: It’s so good, so yes – Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: On everything? No matter what or just on meats?

CHEF KK: No, I do it on vegetables.

GS: Salty, smokey!

CHEF KK: I have it as a finishing salt on certain dishes. I don’t do it at my restaurant, I do it at home.

GS: I don’t know why it’s called Montreal Steak Seasoning.

CHEF KK: I don’t know either!

GS: It’s not particularly Montreal spices.

CHEF TC: It’s like why is that rice that San Francisco treat?

GS: That’s a really good question! It’s a mystery of the universe!

AM: Ha!

The last part of the question is for Kristen and Tom, what are 3 dishes that our readers should try at your restaurant that you would suggest for our readers to come and have?

CHEF KK: One of Arlo Grey's most popular dishes is this beautiful Malfaldini Pasta not that it was done intentionally, but I cooked these mushrooms several times and it just so happened to be a mushroom that got me my first win on Top Chef, but people love to come to the restaurant to try it. It’s like a 4 day sauce that you dehydrate and rehydrate it and it’s just humble white button mushrooms.

There’s this Crispy Rice dish which is my ode to crab fried rice in a lot of ways.

There are 3 dishes that will never change those two and the Lime Sorbet which has pink peppercorns, coconut, and people really love it and it’s like the dessert palette cleanser.

AM: Tom

CHEF TC: Well, it depends on the restaurant!

AM: Well choose your restaurant!

CHEF TC: So Small Batch out in Garden City, LI, I would say the Braised Chicken Thighs. We do it with semi-dried tomatoes, soppressata, lots of sherry vinegar, roasted garlic confit and really good.

Craft NY, the Braised Beef Short Ribs are the go-to there and any of the pasta dishes that we make are really good. We make them all by hand at Craft.

Then Temple Court, the Roast Chicken is really good! It’s a Spring roasted chicken with lots of garlic, ramps, and mushrooms.

AM: Gail, if we were to go home with you, what would we have for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

GS: Oh wait, now I have to give you a whole day? That’s a lot of things!

AM: Well, it’s 3 dishes!

GS: Alright, sure, ok! That’s fair!

Alright, I’m a big egg person so I would always make you eggs in the morning. I like just a simple, well I like eggs anyway that you give them to me, but one of my favorite ways is just a really simple soft scramble with some chives and a little parmesan. But I’m very particular, I hate when eggs are overcooked. I don’t want them undercooked.

CHEF TC: You hate the Spanish Fry.

GS: I hate – well I love them in a Spanish Tortilla but the fried egg with the crispy edges – I like it when the egg yolk is still runny.

CHEF TC: Ok.

GS: You know what I mean?

CHEF TC: Alright!

GS: There’s a delicate balance, but for a scramble or an omelet, it really drives me nuts when you get that brown crust on top! A soft scramble means cooking it slowly. People just want to pummel an egg and that’s not nice to the egg. So that’s what I would make you for breakfast.

For lunch, lunch is kind of random – it’s not like I’m making elaborate lunches! But maybe I would make a roasted chicken with some spring vegetables or make you a really big fresh salad with a beautiful piece of fish on top.

For dinner, my family, we love soups all year around. We make a lot of soup and braises as well as stews because it’s really great for families to eat and to make in big batches! But now that it is Spring, maybe I need to get out of that.

I’m trying to think of dinner because I don’t have a signature or a restaurant so I don’t have to cook anything ever more than once! I love that as a cook, I can make whatever I want.

AM: That’s right!

GS: So I think that it really depends on the time of year and where I’m coming from. Every time I’m coming back from a trip, I bring back with me these memories of a favorite thing that I was cooking then so I just got back from a trip from Quebec and all I want to eat now is Maple Syrup on everything. So, I might make you a very traditional Quebec Tourtiere which is a savory meat pie with a beautiful golden crust. It’s sort of like a chicken potpie, but it’s a little heavier. Or maybe a Tarte au Sucre which is a traditional Maple Sugar Tart – for dinner – just tart!

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@kristenlkish

@tomcolicchio

@gailsimmonseats

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER Stephanie Diani/Bravo | PG 16 - 39, BACK COVER + 9PLAYLIST COLLAB David Moir/Bravo |

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see IN GOOD TASTE | Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons in mag.

SPRING STAYCATION | NOMO SOHO + CHOLA

We've navigated the fall and winter and depending where you're located, you're experiencing varying degrees of Spring! We love that during this time of year, you just want to do more things outside for longer periods! We also love that you feel the need to get a change of pace and sometimes it's not about traveling to a far off locale, but to experience your city and its neighborhoods in a different way!

For this month's location, we decided that a staycation in SoHo was the perfect way to enjoy of of our favorite neighborhoods. The ability to have an array of shopping destinations, restaurants, galleries, and more in the area is a great way to have a bit of a reset whether you do it solo, with friends, family, or your significant other!

To kick off our staycation, we stayed at the NoMo SoHo located on 9 Crosby St. We love that this area is Instagram ready, makes you feel like you're in the midst of fashionable brands from Maison Margiela, Alexis Bittar, R13 Denim, and Flying Solo to name a few, and has epic views with their floor to cieling windows where we could take in Hudson Yards and World Trade Center.

We have had the pleasure of attending a number of editor events, grabbing a bite at NoMo Kitchen, and more. We sat down and talked with NoMo SoHo's General Manager, Jeff Harvey, to find out about this hotel, amenities that it offers, the guest experience!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've had the pleasure of attending events at this property from a number of years when it was the Mondrian and when it became the NoMo SoHo. Before we delve into the hotel, what can you tell us about what draws people to SoHo?

JEFF HARVEY: SoHo is an iconic Manhattan neighborhood - it’s infused with creativity, evocative expression, and artistic dedication - and we are lucky to call it home. Guests who stay at NoMo SoHo are truly in the epicenter of fashion, art, culture and nightlife, experiencing the best of the city.

AM: When did NoMo SoHo open?

JH: The hotel rebranded as NoMo SoHo in 2015.

AM: One of our favorite things about the hotel is the entrance. It's fun to see the graffiti, the arced trees and the lights. What is the overall aesthetic of this hotel that you want guests to feel when they enter?

JH: We’re very focused on art, and are proud to showcase both local artists and world-renowned talent. The archway at the entrance called the Tunnel of Love, along with the surrounding pieces, prepare guests for what they’ll see once inside: a graffiti-style heart mural in NoMo Kitchen from J. Goldcrown and rotating exhibitions throughout the hotel. Most recently, we showed art from local artist Robert Malmberg’s collection “The Sum of our Parts,” and we have exciting art and cultural activations planned for the remainder of the year.

AM: We love that this hotel has a number spaces that are IG worthy, including NoMo Kitchen. Can you tell us about the ambiance and when it is open?

JH: NoMo Kitchen is situated on the ground floor in a bright, vibrant greenhouse setting, offering a true SoHo dining experience. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and serves brunch Friday through Sunday. The restaurant extends onto the patio with the Rose Garden, an outdoor dining option open any time the weather permits. This floral oasis in the middle of the city is a picture-perfect spot to enjoy a meal with friends.

AM: In terms of the perfect Spring cocktail, what are 3 that you suggest for lunch?

JH: We suggest the “Spring Fizz,” made with a gin base, bergamot liqueur, raspberry notes, lemon & a splash of grapefruit. This cocktail is refreshing and light, making it perfect for sipping on a warm spring day. We also recommend the “Rose Spritz,” made with sparkling rose and St. Germain, perfect for outdoor gatherings and pairs wonderfully with springtime fare. For guests looking to enjoy a cocktail sans-alcohol, we recommend the “Immuniti” mocktail with hibiscus, fresh thyme and lime.

AM: When we're popping by for lunch, what are 3 appetizers that we can share?

JH: When enjoying lunch at NoMo Kitchen, we’d recommend sharing the roasted tomato burrata, the crab coquettes, and endive bites. These simple but classic options are the perfect tasty portions to start a lunch rendezvous.

AM: What are 3 dishes that you suggest for lunch that should be on our radar?

JH: For lunch, our flatbreads are always a hit. The heirloom tomato and garlic or the vodka sauce and burrata are not to be missed.

AM: As we move into dinner, what are 3 appetizers that you suggest that are on this portion of the menu?

JH: For dinner, we recommend the beef tartare, garlic shrimp, and the king oyster mushrooms to start.

AM: What are 3 entrees that we should consider for dinner when sharing with friends and family?

JH: When sharing at dinner, we recommend sharing the seafood paella or the whole baked rainbow trout. Both entrees have generous portions and are ideal when sharing.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have for dinner?

JH: For dinner, we recommend guests order a classic martini, a timeless cocktail that's simple yet sophisticated, making it an excellent choice to accompany dinner. From our menu of signature cocktails at NoMo, “The Fix” is made with bourbon, campari, white peach & chipotle, perfect for sipping on its own or pairing with a variety of dishes. For guests looking for a lighter drink, we recommend the “Sun Kissed” featuring citrus and ginger flavors. These dinner cocktails offer a range of flavors and styles to complement various meals and occasions, from light and refreshing to bold and aromatic.

AM: What are 3 entrees that we can have for brunch when sharing with friends and family?

JH: Some of our most popular brunch offerings include the NoMo lemon ricotta pancakes, the avocado toast, and the NoMo burger. These options provide the perfect variety of savory and sweet to satisfy any craving.

AM: What are 3 brunch approved cocktails that we should enjoy?

JH: NoMo Kitchen recently launched its spring menu, featuring a great variety of seasonal, internationally-inspired dishes. It includes some year-round favorites, like our lemon ricotta pancakes and NoMo burger, alongside new items like a baked whole rainbow trout, ricotta flatbread with sundried tomatoes and artichokes, and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Combined with our mixologists’ expertly crafted cocktails, the new menus ensure guests can find the perfect option for their ideal meal in SoHo.

AM: We love a good Happy Hour - what do you offer during this time of day?

JH: Our happy hour is from 4-5pm every weeknight, and we offer discounted drinks and bites for those looking for an afternoon snack or a quick stop after work. During happy hour, beers start at $8, wines and spirits start at $10, and select appetizers such as grilled fish tacos, sriracha honey chicken wings and angus beef sliders start at $10.

AM: We love Taco Tuesday and in the month of March, you have some amazing themes. What are some themes that you have for this for the rest of the Spring and as we head into the Summer?

JH: Our chefs have been flexing their creativity with our Taco Tuesday menus. Past dishes have included octopus tacos with purple potatoes for National Octopus Day and Kahlua-marinated carnitas for National Kahlua Day. Upcoming menus will celebrate National peanut butter & jelly day with a first-time dessert taco and National German beer day for example where the taco protein will be battered. Taco Tuesday at NoMo Kitchen is served as a combo paired with a Margarita that follows the theme.

AM: We really enjoyed seeing the views from our room as those floor to ceiling windows were great! For guests who are staying at NoMo SoHo, tell us about the rooms as well as suites that you offer and what are the amenities that you have available?

JH: We’re proud to be in the tallest building in SoHo, and our floor-to-ceiling windows show off the incredible views that come with that distinction. Depending on which way the room is facing, travelers can get truly panoramic views of the beautiful city skyline, seeing the bridges into Brooklyn and overlooking the Empire State Building. The hotel’s spacious rooms feature full-size work desks, C.O. Bigelow bath amenities, luxurious bathrooms and more.

AM: You offer a #YourPlace package that allows people to use a room during the day. This is such a great concept - can you tell us about what day guests can enjoy when purchasing this package and if there are discounts for those who want to book a series of days?

JH: YourPlace allows guests to rent rooms for four or eight hours, providing premium day-use rooms that are popular with remote workers looking for a quiet, distraction-free place to boost productivity. These rooms come with complimentary snacks, access to our fitness center, and contactless room service.

AM: Tell us about your fitness center and what you offer here.

JH: Our 24-hour fitness center is equipped with cardio machines, free weights and weight machines. NoMo SoHo also frequently hosts public workout classes in our Penthouse or outdoor terrace (seasonally), open to guests looking to break a sweat and take in some of the best views of the city.

AM: There are many reasons why people are at your hotel and there is something about being in historic SoHo! For those that live in the neighborhood and are not staying at the hotel, but swing by NoMo SoHo for a Taco Tuesday, what are 2 additional things that you suggest that they should do in the neighborhood?

JH: SoHo has incredible shopping and a wide variety of art galleries. We always recommend that guests take in all of the art they can find nearby, and frequently see guests toting shopping bags into the hotel.

AM: For those that are enjoying a vacation or staycation, what are 3 things that you suggest that they should do in SoHo or in a nearby neighborhood?

JH: In addition to art and fashion, New York City is filled with opportunities to see live performances. Whether it’s a comedy show or a concert, it’s highly recommended.

AM: For our business traveler, who has the pleasure of staying at the hotel. What are meeting options you have for their gathering needs on property and what are 3 things that you suggest that they can enjoy in terms of bonding with their fellow colleagues that are off property and are in SoHo?

JH: Our event venues offer incredible variety. For a traditional meeting, groups can book our ground floor gallery or terrace, or groups can opt to book the Penthouse & terrace for a meeting with a view. The Penthouse has 360-degree views of the city, ample outdoor space, and can be configured to fit groups large and small. Business dinners in NoMo Kitchen are always a hit, and there’s no shortage of entertainment just outside of our doors for business travelers looking to take in more of the city.

AM: With the Spring and the Summer around the corner, are there events coming up that NoMo SoHo will be part of that you would like for us to know about?

JH: We just launched a series of wellness classes with Sound of Om, a local partner leading yoga, sound baths, meditation and more in our Penthouse. It’s a great way for guests and locals to relax atop the city. The Rose Garden is also open this spring and summer for diners looking to take in the weather during the warmer months.

AM: Are there any packages that you would like to highlight that we should keep on our radar?

JH: Our Pride offer will be available for stays throughout the month of June and will give guests a Pride welcome amenity, credit to dine at NoMo Kitchen, and two complimentary Pride cocktails at the restaurant’s bar.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | NoMo SoHo

We love that a staycation allows you to really enjoy a neighborhood at a granular level whether it's trying a new coffee spot, walking into a lounge for a few drinks, or taking in the architecture in the area! But when you're in a city like NYC, you are only an Uber or subway ride away from changing up the vibe!

We decided to revisit Chola, which we have previously featured in The Art of the Snack for our NOV ISSUE #49 in 2019. They have been making incredible Indian cuisine for 26 years and we wanted to try new dishes on the menu as well as take in the vibe and heartwarming way that they create each dish that leaves their kitchen. After an epic meal on the UES, we wanted to go deeper into their history, find out about the founder Shiva Natarajan as well as its owner Min Bhujel, and what guests can expect from this restaurant which is enjoyed by so many including Martha Stewart who has dishes named for her!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of dining at Chola a few years ago and enjoyed the dishes that we had. Can you tell us a bit about the history of Chola as we know it opened in 1998!

CHOLA: Chola first opened its doors in February 1998, initially offering a menu centered around North Indian cuisine; however, it wasn't until founder Shiva Natarajan introduced South Indian dishes to the menu that the restaurant truly garnered attention. This pivotal move earned them a notable two-star review from The New York Times, propelling Chola to its current status as an acclaimed dining destination.

AM: Shiva Natarajan founded the restaurant and is known as a pioneer in Indian Cuisine here in NY. Can you tell us about his background and what led him to creating Chola?

C: Shiva, the founder of Chola, initially embarked on a career in finance as a young professional. However, after a few years in the financial sector, Shiva realized that his true calling lay in the culinary world. Growing up, he spent considerable time in the kitchen, learning invaluable techniques and recipes from his grandmother. This early exposure ignited his curiosity and passion for food and cooking, ultimately prompting him to transition away from finance. Inspired by his love for Indian cuisine, Shiva ventured into the restaurant industry, launching establishments like Sahib and Malai Marke. Through these ventures, he played a pivotal role in pioneering the Indian dining scene in New York City.

AM: We enjoyed meeting Min Bhujel as we dined at Chola this month and he is now its owner. Can you tell us about his journey in the culinary industry, working alongside Shiva, what it means to run the restaurant, and what the goals are for the upcoming years?

C: Min Bhujel embarked on his culinary journey in his native India, accumulating 16 years of experience in the hospitality sector. Upon moving to the U.S., he had the privilege of being mentored by Shiva, eventually becoming his protégé and right-hand man for over a decade. During this time, Min played integral roles in the operation and management of several of Shiva’s acclaimed restaurants.

Now, as the owner of Chola, Min's journey has come full circle. Running the restaurant holds profound significance for him, symbolizing the culmination of years of hard work and dedication in the culinary industry.

Looking ahead, Min, alongside Shiva, aims to uphold Chola's recognition in the Michelin Guide. Their ultimate aspiration is to earn a coveted MICHELIN star for the restaurant, reflecting their unwavering commitment to culinary excellence and innovation.

AM: What is Shiva's involvement in Chola at this point?

C: Shiva remains heavily involved in Chola's operations, particularly in menu and recipe development. He maintains a consistent on-site presence, diligently overseeing the quality and consistency of their menu items and service. Acting as a guiding force, Shiva continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring the restaurant's ongoing success.

AM: Shiva was on Martha Stewart's, Martha Cooks on Roku and is currently writing a cookbook. Can you tell us about this recent appearance as well as his cookbook?

C: During his recent appearance on Martha Cooks, Shiva teamed up with his friend and longtime patron, Martha Stewart, to showcase the preparation of some beloved traditional Indian dishes. Sharing his expertise, he provided valuable insights on spice selection and demonstrated the art of cooking Martha's favorite Indian dishes, including Butter Chicken, Okra, Lemon Rice, and Raita Yogurt.

Additionally, Shiva is currently channeling his extensive knowledge and experience of Indian cuisine into writing a cookbook. This endeavor aims to consolidate his culinary wisdom and travels across India, where he has picked up countless regional recipes to be shared with the world.

AM: When we're talking about Indian food, what are the ingredients and spices that are indicative of this cuisine?

C: When discussing Indian cuisine, several key ingredients and spices come to mind that are indicative of its rich, vibrant flavors. Some of these include curry leaves, coriander, cumin, saffron, cloves, chili, fenugreek, tamarind, and ginger.

AM: From a culinary standpoint, what regions do the dishes offered come from?

C: The dishes offered at Chola originate from diverse regions across India. These include Northern Indian regions like Kashmir and Punjab, as well as Kolkata in the northeast, and southern regions along the coast such as Bangalore and Karnataka. Shiva's extensive travels throughout India have enabled him to bring back traditional and original recipes from these regions, enriching Chola's menu for his customers to enjoy.

AM: You make your Ghee fresh at Chola - why is this such an important ingredient?

C: Freshly made Ghee holds significant importance at Chola due to its profound impact on the flavor of the cuisine. Crafted daily through the tempering technique, it enhances the taste and aroma of the dishes. One of Chola's best-kept secrets lies in the special blend of herbs used to temper the Ghee, further enriching its flavor and aroma.

AM: Before we delve into the menu, can you tell us about what guests can expect to see when they come into the restaurant. And can you tell us about the iconic vintage clock?

C: With a passion for antiquing, Shiva procured a broken antique clock from a train station three years ago. After careful restoration and customization, this clock now proudly adorns Chola's entrance, symbolizing its enduring presence in the Upper East Side neighborhood for the past 26 years.

Stepping inside, guests are greeted in the front room that features a spacious bar embellished with golden hanging pendants, exuding a warm and inviting glow. In the dining room, marbled walls complement gray banquettes lining the perimeter, while black and white photographs showcase coastal scenes from Southern India, offering a glimpse into the cuisine's origins. Throughout the restaurant, a blend of modern and traditional accents pays homage to the vibrant tapestry of Indian culture.

AM: In our recent visit, we were reminded of why we love this restaurant as you can feel the love and mindfulness in the dishes. It's also amazing to watch the faces of others that are there as you can see that they are being transported as well. Can you talk about some of the traditional culinary practices that are upheld at Chola?

C: At the heart of Chola's cuisine lies a deep-rooted passion and reverence for traditional cooking methods. Drawing inspiration from familial traditions, the kitchen meticulously upholds these practices to preserve the authenticity of each dish.

For Shiva, maintaining these culinary traditions is akin to staging a Broadway performance each night. The kitchen is expected to operate at peak performance, ensuring the consistency and excellence in every dish. This dedication guarantees that each visit to Chola promises the same high-quality experience for their patrons.

AM: You have new items on the menu which I know we had the pleasure of having. For an appetizer, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should share with friends and family?

C: For appetizers, here are three dishes Shiva highly recommends sharing with friends and family:

• Baghari Jhinga, creamy mustard shrimp from Kashmir

• Phuckawala Alu Dum, spiced tamarind potatoes, fresh coriander, and ginger

• Lasoni Gobi, tangy cauliflower, ginger, and garlic

AM: For the entree, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy?

C: For Entrees, Shiva suggests the following:

• Lata Shetty’s Lobster Ghee Roast, a family recipe from Shiva’s mother-in-law with tamarind, coconut, and onions

• Meen Polichattu, pan seared fish in a banana leaf

• Tanjavur Avial, a coconut-vegetable dish from Kerala

AM: We are huge fans of Saag Paneer and we did enjoy that when we visited, but we also had a new favorite, Gosht Saag! The lamb was lovely and that balanced with the spinach was truly a great experience! Can guests who enjoy a specific meat like goat have it paired with a curry or sauce that would make it a unique dish that may not be officially on the menu?

C: While we strive to accommodate our guests' preferences, our preparation method involves marinating and grilling meats specific to the masala or curry they will accompany. This meticulous process ensures optimal flavor but limits the flexibility to interchange meats with our sauce variety. Therefore, we cannot always accommodate the interchanging of meats and sauces, but we are confident there is something for everyone on our expansive menu.

AM: What are 3 meat based dishes that we should think about having for our next meal?

C: For Meat dishes, Shiva suggests:

• Melagu Kozhi Chettinad, a spicy pepper chicken curry dish from the house of Chettiyars

• Golbari Kosha Mangsho, a slow cooked bone-in goat curry from Kolkata

• Saag Gosht, spiced lamb, pureed spinach, ginger

AM: We love the rice and naan dishes that are offered - what are 3 that we should order for the table?

C: Must try rice and Naan items are:

• Misti Rice, a delicacy from Kolkata that features sweet rice, cashews, raisins, and ghee

• Mughlai Goat Biryani, a highly aromatic specialty with Basmati rice, whole spices, yogurt, and herbs served in a clay pot

• For Naan, the Chili Onion Naan is recommended for spice lovers

AM: To complete our meal, what are 3 desserts that we should think about having to share?

CC: To round off your meal perfectly, patrons should try the following desserts:

• Kulfi, a condensed milk and saffron ice cream

• Misti Dohi, a fermented sweetened yogurt from Kolkata

• Coconut Barfi, coconut squares with cardamom

AM: The cocktails have been curated by Allen Katz, Owner of the New York Distilling Company. Can you talk about his background and what his vision was for your beverage program?

C: The cocktails at Chola have been crafted by Allen Katz, Owner of the New York Distilling Company. With a background as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on distilled spirits and cocktails, Allen serves as the Director of Spirits Education & Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York. Renowned for his expertise, he conducts public and professional seminars on topics such as America’s food and cocktail heritage and even hosted The Cocktail Hour for Martha Stewart on SiriusXM.

For Chola's beverage program, Allen created cocktails that harmonize perfectly with the cuisine. He aimed to provide refreshing options that complement the bold flavors of our spicier dishes, ensuring a well-rounded dining experience for Chola’s guests.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should order when enjoying our meal?

C: From Allen’s list, must try cocktails include:

• Himalayan Sunset, Spring 44 vodka, King’s Ginger liqueur, mango puree and fresh lime juice

• East of Manhattan, Ragtime rye, La Copa sweet vermouth and saffron syrup

• Ginger Lime Fizz, vodka, orange liqueur, ginger, fresh lime and cranberry juice

AM: In terms of beer and wine, what are 3 you suggest?

C: When it comes to beer and wine selections, Shiva recommends the following:

• Indian beers like Taj Mahal and Kingfisher offer a refreshing complement to the cuisine

• Rose from Driopi, Greece pairs nicely with a variety of dishes

• And don't miss out on Chola’s house-made Lassis, available in Mango, Sweet, and Salt variations, which are great non-alcoholic beverage options

IG @cholanyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chola

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see SPRING STAYCATION | NoMo SoHo + Chola in mag.

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY | MARIA STEN

This month's cover editorial is with actress and writer, Maria Sten. Throughout her career she has used her passion for creativity to navigate her interests whether it was being Miss Denmark 2008 and then representing her country at Miss Universe, working as a model and a dancer until connecting with her passion for storytelling!

For fans of Big Sky, she wrote for this crime genre series that took place in Montana; those who enjoy immersive podcasts, she included her voice work in QCODE's Narcissa; and she's currently in Prime Video's Reacher whose second season is streaming now and we're excited to see that not only is the third season greenlit, but it is already in production, and of course her character, Frances Neagley will be back!

We wanted to find out more about how she got into the industry as a writer and actress, the stories she likes to tell, how she gets inspired, being on Reacher, its success, working on projects she's passionate about, and more.

We also enjoyed our cover shoot with her at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge in NoLita which has been on our list to transport us as we navigate the winter weeks ahead.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours across the Narcissa podcast, your work as a writer with Big Sky and obviously with Reacher! But before we delve into that, in our research we saw that you were Miss Denmark 2008 and competed at Miss Universe as well, you were a dancer, and a model. What made you want to do that and to ultimately, dig deeper into entertainment as a writer and a producer.

MARIA STEN: You know, that’s a good question. I think that one thing that is true to my life and has always been true is that I have just zero chill. So I just want to do stuff all the time. I want to work, I want to challenge myself all the time and I want to grow. I came to NY when I was 18 to be a dancer and obviously when you come to NY as an immigrant, I did not have papers and I was working very hard to try and build my career and to build sort of a profile for myself so that I was able to get papers, and I was going back to Denmark and then randomly, Miss Denmark opportunity came up and I thought, sure why not? I won and then they said, do you want to go to Vietnam for 1 month and do Miss Universe? I thought, how could I say no to that? I think it was sort of a strange roundabout way as I don’t think that I consider myself to be a pageant girl per se, but it was such an incredible experience and I got to meet these amazing women from all over the world and I do still know a lot of people in that community. So you never know when these once in a lifetime experiences – how they can come about! For me, that was just something that I couldn’t say no to.

Then I think that from then on evolving into a dancer and then music, acting which I had done when I was a teenager and as a child a little bit. I sort of realized that these were the things that I wanted to do for my life. The desire to write came as a necessity to do so as I didn’t really feel that I could really stretch with the opportunities that were offered to me. Black women in the industry, at least at the time, it was more limited what we were offered. It still is in terms of opportunities, but of course, it is better now. I just wanted to write to play in the same roles that my other colleagues were able to play in as well. Then people apparently thought that I should be a writer! So now, I do both!

AM: I love that and to your point about the pageant system. In addition to my role here, as a fashion stylist, I have styled Miss America 2019 as well as Miss Ecuador 2018 ahead of her competing in Miss Universe that year. It is such an interesting world and that network is really amazing because the interest that a lot of the people do are so different. It’s literally that they could be rocket scientists, fashion designers, or other interests. It’s cool to see people that are part of that world!

MS: It’s really interesting and I think of course in America, it overlaps a lot. I’m still in communication with Miss Puerto Rico that was from my year, Ingrid who is also an actress, Meagan Tandy who was Miss California USA who was the year before me, and Miss Iowa from 2007 Dani Reeves is a good friend of mine. Not necessarily because we competed in pageants, but that network and you just find people like you do in any other industry that you connect with and you stay friends with! It’s really incredible. Meeting photographers like Fadil Berisha who is an amazing photographer did my very first headshot in New York when I was 19.

AM: I styled a shoot for an artist that he did the album art for – so talented!

MS: Yes he is and that was because of Miss Universe. I’m definitely grateful for that opportunity and it was only just a springboard for me to stay in the United States, to build my career, and etc. etc.

AM: I was such a huge fan of Big Sky and love that you wrote for this series. What drew you to this show?

MS: I am a huge Western nerd. I have been riding horses since I was 3 years old and I went to the US for the first time when I was 8 and spent a month with my family on a ranch in Arizona and I totally got bit by this Western bug because I grew up riding English and I had no idea that there was this thing that was called the Wild West and that there are these big wide open spaces with nature and cowboys with cool hats and six shooters! So I totally got obsessed with this world and watched all the westerns growing up and I had been wanting to write one for forever. I did write a pilot early on which was a spec of mine which was a period western. So when Big Sky came along, it was kind of an obvious choice for me. It was a Black female lead set in Montana and it’s a crime show and I thought – yes and of course, David E. Kelley (The Undoing, Love and Death, The Lincoln Lawyer) was attached! Generally, I don't do a lot of network television, but when it is David E. Kelley is doing it – that’s the parameters for it – that’s sort of a no-brainer for me.

AM: What do you look for in a project when it comes to you coming on as a writer?

MS: I definitely look for character and world and relationships. That’s definitely what I’m looking for and a lot of my projects are always born out of wanting to play in a world, but also what do I want to do as an actor? What could be interesting for me as an actor and also, what is the lack in the space? If I don’t see it in the space – female villains or Black people in the Western space – all of these things are things that I want to be playing in, but I don’t see – that is always a good incentive for me to start writing in some way, somehow. Definitely looking for things that are unique and have something to say. That is always important to me.

AM: What is your creative process like when you’re writing. It must be so interesting where obviously you’re thinking about the storyline and future seasons or how that character arc grows over a period of time. Where do you start with that?

MS: I definitely start with the pilot and I think about what is the pilot, who are the people that we care about, what is the central relationship, and what is the central theme of the show? Then, once I have a good grip on the pilot, what are we setting up with the world and the relationships with the characters – then I will branch out. I do that sort of organically. Once I’m flushing out the pilot, I’m thinking about when certain information will have to be revealed if you’re thinking about the season as a whole.

AM: Right.

MS: It’s an organic way and I don’t really have a way of going about it. I think that most things come to me in different ways. Sometimes I just know a scene, I know the beginning or the end, sometimes I just know the character and I just want to focus on that character and what interesting situation that I can put them in. Most of my own stories are like misfit families. Family dramas of some kind. So oftentimes, the central relationship will always be some kind of family relationship and how we can dive into these complicated relationships. Flawed characters are what I like to dive into. So that’s usually where it goes.

AM: I’m a huge fan of podcasts, generally true crime. But I really appreciate other genres in the scripted space. QCODE is one that I love with their immersive approach to storytelling and Narcissa was amazing and I loved hearing you in it. What drew you to that?

MS: Thank you!

AM: Oh it was so good!

MS: Yeah, I think that – what was happening at that time? Fun fact, I think at the time, I was home writing on something and I had just broken my wrist snowboarding so I was sort of just stuck at home and they said, “do you want to do this thing from your closet?” and I said yes absolutely because I really wanted to be able to do a project. That was one fun fact and also I think I really just wanted to dive into the character. That character is so interesting and not to give anything away, but playing something like that and the different dynamics that you have to sort of consider in playing a character like that, I thought it was interesting and to also look at AI and what’s to come in our society – I thought that that was interesting. For me, I thought that it was a fascinating dive into audio. I haven’t done a lot of voice work and I would love to. So I thought that it was a good way for me to get started.

AM: Over the holiday I watched the first season of Reacher and then watched the screeners of the 2nd season of Reacher. It's interesting that with as many shows that I watch and love there are always those that I haven’t gotten around to and I know I would love them! In prep for the interview, I wanted to see both seasons and it was so good and so fun to jump into. What was it about this show that you wanted to be involved in this series?

MS: Off the bat, it’s the action! I love the action, I love strong characters, kinetic characters, kinetic stories – Neagley, this word is so overused, but she’s a badass in a lot of ways and she also has this other kind of quirky quality about her. So to me, that was something really interesting to get to play with and to figure out how to make it interesting and grounded at the same time. For sure, to begin with. I knew it was going to be this splashy/action show and then when I got the job and I realized that there was this whole billion dollar book franchise that is behind it – I read all the books that Neagley was in and I got excited because there was so much to dive into and to explore that was about this mysterious woman that I got to play!

AM: Well beyond reading the books and the information that you were given, how else did you prepare to play her?

MS: Definitely kinetically. I was training just sort of on my own physique that we do as actors. Then I did kickboxing which I did when I was younger, shadow boxing, doing drills with a stunt team and then there was a lot of speaking to military veterans that had served – specifically women who had been in the army and the marines. I have a couple of friends that are veterans and so they put me in touch just so that I could understand what that life was like and the real things that you sort of have to endure day in and day out as being deployed and being part of this mahinery that is the US military.

I just love doing research and deep diving with characters so it was a combination of a few things.

AM: Obviously, not to have spoilers or anything, but where do we leave Neagley in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again as we go into Season 2?

MS: You know, the good thing about the show is that each season is a contained story, right? We do 1 book per season so it feels quite satisfying where when we were in the first season, it was a limited series and if you’re watching the 2nd season, you don’t have to have seen the previous one to enjoy the next one. Of course, I think that you should so that you have an understanding of the character Reacher (Alan Ritchson), who he is and how he moves through the world.

But I think that we leave her and she’s come in to do her duty and to help save her friend. And now, we pick back up with her in Season 2 where there are bigger stakes for her and them because members of their unit have turned up dead. I think that is much more of a personal round and a personal story for all of our main characters this season. I think that the action and the scope of the season is indicative of that in terms of the action and the interplay between the characters and how stark it also is given that we shoot in the winter in Toronto.

AM: The final episode of the second season I was like, this is so exciting where everything ends. We know that it has already been greenlit for the 3rd season and we know that we will continue to see you. Do you know anything about the 3rd season that you’re able to share with us or what would you like to see if you were able to be in the Writer’s Room?

MS: I may or may not know things that I may or may not be able to talk about! So we can leave it at that ha ha! Of course, we will see Reacher do cool things in Season 3 and if Nealey shows up to lend him a hand again – hopefully that will be exciting for the fans as well as it has been in the other seasons. I think that the liberty of doing a book per season, we can dive into new stories as we adapt them for screen. The showrunners and the powers that be can fit it into what they feel is right for the TV version. So a lot more action of course, but the story changes in terms of scope, in terms of world, and I think that it will be interesting to see what comes next.

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

MS: I’m currently working on a few things on the writing side. I just finished a pilot which is a modern Western set in Wyoming where I also live. Right now, I also have 2 features in development, but they are in very early stages, but that’s what I plan to be working on for the writing side this year.

AM: When you’re not working on a project or in the throws of a project, how do you take time for yourself?

MS: I travel a lot. I love to go to different countries exploring different cultures. I specifically go to Mexico a lot, I go to Southern Africa a lot, I spend a lot of time on horseback in the bush in Southern Africa. There’s just nothing better than seeing wildlife from horseback. For me, it’s a great way to of course get inspired, reset, and step away from the hustle and bustle of our industry and just to have some stillness and to be off of our phones and to reconnect with nature.

IG @mariasten

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 38 - 45 + 45 Prime Video/Reacher | PG 42 9LIST STORI3S + PG 118 NEW YEAR N3W YOU Image Courtesy Maria Sten |

Our shoot with Maria Sten took place on Mulberry street in NoLita at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge. Following the credits from this photoshoot, we delve into into this restaurant as well as the lounge so that you can plan your next night out in an epic way!

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Rebecca Restrepo | HAIR STYLIST Corey Tuttle |

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@shes.kimmie

@rebeccarestrepo

@coreytuttlehair

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | CREDITS

LOUNGE LOOK PG 16-19 | BUCK MASON Molasses Lounge Wool Shirt + Pants |

FITNESS LOOK BACK COVER + PG 20 - 25 | COSMOLLE Air Wear Long Sleeve + High Waisted Legging Set | ATHLEISUREVERSE Varsity Jacket | NEW BALANCE 550 Sneakers |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK PG 26 - 29 | GREY BANDIT Adriana Coat | LNA CLOTHING Essential Cotton Kaden V Neck | MAVI Wide Leg Pant | ABBOTT LYON Curb Chain Necklace | SEQUIN JEWELRY Marleigh Evil Eye Charm Necklace | NAGICIA Braided Ring | SMARTGLASS JEWELRY Cube Gold Ring in Aqua and Antique Clear |

NIGHT OUT LOOK FRONT COVER PG 30 - 35 | FORE Dress | ALEX SOLDIER Silver Drop Earrings with White Topaz | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Ring, Black Caviar Silver Station Ceramic Caviar Beaded Bracelet, Black Caviar Single Station Ceramic Diamond Bracelet, Signature Caviar Silver Caviar Bracelet | STEVE MADDEN Evelyn |

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

PAUL SHOT WITH | CANON Mark IV and Canon Lenses - 24-70, 70-200 + 50 1.2 | SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 + DJ280 |

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to have our cover shoot with Prime Video's Reacher star, Maria Sten. Tell me about the backgrounds of the co-owners of this restaurant from previous restaurants etc.

IL PELLICANO: Owner, Massimo Tabacco's journey from Rome to New York City in the mid-eighties led him to work in several esteemed Manhattan restaurants like Tre Merli, Azzurro Ciaobella, Coffee Shop, and Paper Moon Milano. In the early '90s, he opened Gilda near Saks 5th Avenue, where he forged a lasting friendship with Kyky Conille, who became a significant part of his citywide ventures. Kyky Conille is known for nightclubs in NYC like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons. The restaurant is located above Kyky Conille and Dimitri Hyacinthe’s new club, Bijoux Lounge, which has become one of NYC’s hottest going out spots. Il Pellicano and Bijoux will be working together to deliver elevated dining upstairs and a late-night menu down for Bijoux’s patrons’ downstairs.

AM: When did il Pellicano launch and can you give us some background on the restaurant as I know you have a sister restaurant in CT.

IP: Popular, Fairfield, Connecticut Italian restaurant, il Pellicano, is opened its first NYC outpost. Known for their infusion of old classics with a modern twist, Il Pellicano will stand apart from the other traditional Italian restaurants on its block. Il Pellicano is located at 149 Mulberry, and encompasses a 50-seat dining room, a 40-seat front patio and 30-seat back garden. Owners Massimo Tabacco and Kyky Conilleofficially opened its doors to the public on Friday, January 12th.

AM: What is the importance of the Pelican?

IP: The Pelican (Il Pellicano) is a small hotel in Poro Ercole, Italy where Massimo (owner) used to ride to with his friends with motorcycles from Rome. Amazing ride on the coast of Tuscany, so it always had a sentimental meaning to him.

AM: Tell us about the design aesthetic of the restaurant and the meaning behind the name.

IP: The design is sleek and modern with green booths and gold light fixtures. The walls are filled with framed photos of Pelicans – drawing from the name.

AM: Who is the Executive Chef at il Pelicano on Mulberry St and can you provide information on their background and kitchens that they have worked in?

IP: Chef Saul Media is the executive chef at Il Pellicano on Mulberry Street. Chef Media’s heritage of Puebla Mexico is where the kitchen was his earliest classroom thanks to his grandmother and aunts. In his early twenties he embarked his journey to NYC, Connecticut, West Coast and then back to the East Coast making a mark in the world of culinary arts. With Chef Media’s first few years in the trenches starting as a dishwasher, then a line cool and then eventually cooking in renowned establishments including Gibsons Italia in Chicago, The Mark by Jean-Georges in New York, G’ios Italian and Cena’s restaurant in Tampa Bay, and the iconic steakhouse, The Forge, in Miami, among others.

AM: For those who are coming for lunch, tell us about 3 appetizers that we should try when dining with family or friends?

IP: Olive Oil Flight – three select styles of monini single harvest olive oil served with fresh baked herb focaccia

Caesar Salad – romaine arugula, croutons, parmigiano Reggiano, Caesar dressing

Heirloom Tomato Caprese – bocconcini mozzarella, basil oil, balsamic pearls, parmesan gel

AM: What are 3 main dishes that you suggest that we should have when we're coming in for lunch with family and friends?

IP: Chicken Milanese - arugula, tomato, cucumber, onion meyer lemon vinaigrette

Cacio E Pepe – Bucatini, Pecorino, Cracked Black Pepper

Tuscan Steak Sandwich – Shaved steak, cubanelle pepper, raclette cheese, carmalized onion

AM: What are 3 cocktails or wines that would be great to pair with our meal?

IP: Super Tuscan, Promis by Gaja, ITALY

Sancerre, Moulin Camus, ITALY

Barreled Negroni – Gin, Campari, Antica & Barrel aged in House

AM: For dinner, what are 3 dishes that you suggest to begin our meal?

IP: Forgmaggi e Salumi – rotating selection of curated meats and cheeses and house made accompaniments.

Carpaccio Di Polpo – thinly sliced octopus, roasted eggplant and tomato musarda, sherry glaze

Suppli di Riso Funghi – roman rice rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, parm, truffle dust, pistachio cream

AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have our eye on?

IP: Carbonara fettuccine - parmiggiano reggiano, guanciale and cracked pepper

Tartufo Al Funghi - pappardelle, wild mushroom blend, white truffle, pecorino romano

Pork Chop Scarpariello - cherry peppers, onions, white balsamic, crispy potatoes

AM: What are 3 sides that we should have with them?

IP: Rainbow Carrots, Mushroom Blend, and Asparagus.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have in mind?

IP: Olive Oil Martini - tito’s fat washed with monini olive oil, cocchi bianco, brine, castelvetrano

Durazno Verde - tequila, ancho reyes, peach, lime, poblano ice, tajin

Amari & Aperitivo - a custom cocktail experience: select the bitter and the bartenders do the rest!

AM: What are there 3 dessert options that you suggest?

IP: The Almond Cake, The Smoked Burrata with Dried Figs, Infused in Truffle Honey, and the Chocolate Budino.

AM: As we navigate the winter and look towards the spring, are there any events that we should know about?

IP: Weekend truffle party brunches and a new truffle menu launching.

In Athleisure Mag's DEC ISSUE #96, Bijoux Lounge was featured in Athleisure List. We wanted to share a bit more about this hot spot!

As temperatures drop below freezing, venturing out for a night in NYC has become dreadful. The struggle of searching for a spot to stow away your bulky winter coat, spending ungodly amounts to Uber two blocks or enduring long club lines is very real. What if we told you there was a way to enjoy an entire night out without ever leaving a single location? In the past year, it has become increasingly common to bars/clubs or vice versa allowing you to complete the night out within the confines of one building. Il Pellicano & Bijoux Lounge is NYC’s newest restaurant and bar combination. Nightlife maven Lionel “Kyky” Conille, a pioneer and renowned for his NYC nightclubs like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons, quietly marked his return to the scene with the opening of Bijoux Lounge at the end of 2023. This speakeasy-style, moody red-lit club has already hosted notable events, including the 21st birthday celebration of "Summer I Turned Pretty" star Lola Tung and Society Management's model-filled holiday party. Above the bar, Bijoux owner Conille and longtime friend Massimo Tabacco unveiled Il Pellicano a few weeks ago. The menu promises a seamless fusion of timeless and contemporary Italian flavors, echoing some of the beloved dishes from Il Pellicano's Connecticut location. Collaborating seamlessly, Bijoux and Il Pellicano are set to provide a can't miss elevated dining experience upstairs and a late-night menu downstairs.

IG @ilpellicanonewyork

@bijouxnyc

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ABOUT THE STORY | Maria Sten in mag.

SLOPES & SAFE SUN | KIEHL'S X JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN

We all love packing a bag and heading out to a destination. Of course, we always love sandy beaches, but it's also nice to immerse ourselves in a bit of a winter wonderland as well! Jackson Hole is a destination that can be enjoyed year around, but this time of year when it comes to the snow, being able to enjoy a number of activities as well as we enjoy cuisine and the town at large.

Those who are in the region will have the ability to enjoy the elements while maintaining their skincare with the iconic brand Kiehl's. We took some time with Isabelle Carramaschi, SVP Kiehl’s to find out about the brand historically, their innovations, how they have embraced sports, and what they are doing with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In addition, we

chatted with Andrew Way, Marketing VP of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, to find out about the area, what makes it a must-visit destination for those during this time of year as well in other seasons, and to learn more about the culinary offerings as well as upcoming events that we should know about.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Kiehl's launched in 1851 on 13th and 3rd Ave here in NY. Tell me about John Kiehl's and what the first product was that the brand released?

ISABELLE CARRAMASCHI: In the late 18th century, John Kiehl, with a keen interest in homeopathy, bought a New York apothecary's shop first opened in 1851 by Louis Brunswick, a German immigrant. Inspired by old-world apothecaries, he used the store to offer free consultations and hand-compounded custom remedies.

With his custom remedies and personalized consultations, John Kiehl developed a special community around his apothecary, where care was available to anyone who walked through the doors. These unique values helped to build Kiehl’s and remain at the heart of the brand today.

AM: It seems that the brand has always looked at the customer experience from having the concept of "Try Before You Buy" in 1922 as well as being one of the first companies in 1924 to list their ingredients on the label before the government made this a mandate. Why was the brand ahead of its time in this space?

IC: I believe the brand will remain ahead of its time in the space so long as it remains true to its values and places community first. The brand has always prioritized inclusivity and the care of others, made evident in its embracing of the LGBTQ+ community during a time when they were faced with adversity during the AIDS epidemic. The brand’s commitment to sustainability and transparency with our ingredients is based on the same principles; we care about what is inside our formulas and its impact on the world we live in. Kiehl’s will continue to put clients before sales with custom treatments and personalized consultations – we joke at L'Oréal that the Kiehl’s team would rather make a friend than a sale.

And of course, we need the business to do well to support our staff, our causes and our community; but we believe one in consequence of the other.

AM: Science seems to be core to the brand as Aaron Morse not only took over the family business, but he was known for formulating an early form of penicilin and he gave the US government a special Aloe Vera Cream that could be used on radiation burns. What are some of the things that he created that are still hero products within the assortment today?

IC: In our view, Aaron created something bigger than product! He created a testing methodology that is applicable to all our skus. Due to his education, exposure to war, and sense of adventure, Kiehl's creams were always put to the test against extreme conditions. A few products that have stood the test of time include the Lip Balm #1, Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, Blue Astringent Lotion, Crème de Corps Body Lotion, and Ultra Facial Moisturizer (with more than one sold every minute in the U.S.!).

AM: The brand has over 100 products and artifacts that are in the permanent collection of the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian National Museum in DC. What does it mean to the brand that it has a legacy that started as an apothecary/pharmacy and continues to this day?

IC: It's a great reminder of where we came from and how much expertise this brand carries.

In the acquisition by L'Oréal, it was essential to learn and preserve the values and soul of the brand and respect more than a century of expertise. Of course, there is always excitement around new brands, but there is so much knowledge and history behind Kiehls.

AM: In 1988, the brand sponsored the Everest '88 Expedition, which was the first ascent on the east face of the mountain without supplemental oxygen! But they brought an array of Kiehl's products! What was the thinking behind sponsoring this event, and what is the connection between the beauty brand and sports?

IC: As mentioned above, through his love for adventure, Aaron Mores looked to enhance the performance of products by putting them through extreme testing; taking products to be tested and reformulated based on voyages such as The Everest ’88 Expedition has had a tremendous impact on how we formulate, test, and market our products today. We hope to bring to life this spirit of adventure through our partnership with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort while also celebrating the community and creating experiences as Aaron did with his expeditions.

AM: How did the Kiehls and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort partnership come about to be the official 2024 SPF Partner?

IC: As a brand centered around community, we love finding and partnering with communities, creators, and brands that share our beliefs. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a unique place that embodies the spirit of adventure and outdoor exploration year-round, resonating deeply with the Kiehl’s brand heritage. One of Kiehl’s main goals is to preserve the values and rich history of the brand - one being “adventure testing” to further highlight our efficacious formulas and technology.

Now that we have some backstory about the brand, hero products, and how they have continued to be involved in sports, we wanted to know more about this resort and what makes it so unique. Andrew Way, the Marketing VP of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort gives us the inside scoop.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Why is Jackson Hole, in terms of the area, a destination for outdoor enthusiasts, especially during the winter, as it is located in Wyoming's Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem as well as Grand Teton National Park?

ANDREW WAY: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's (JHMR) northern boundary is Grand Teton National Park and we operate on a Bridger Teton National Forest permit. The views are stunning and 97 percent of the land in the Jackson Hole area is open space and will always be protected. Getting outside and going on an adventure is right out our front door and deeply ingrained in our local culture.

AW: Jacksonhole.com has a ton of information for people planning a trip to Jackson Hole, ranging from First Timer’s Guides to booking a full family vacation. We also have a ton of great content that will help anyone plan their trip.

JHMR first opened in 1965 with Apres Vous Mountain. The Jackson Hole Aerial Tram opened in 1966, taking people to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain. The Aerial Tram is an incredible experience that whisks skiers and riders 4,139 vertical feet in 10 minutes, accessing some of the best terrain and fall line skiing in North America.

AM: How much snow does Jackson Hole get?

AW: The combination of snow and terrain make Jackson Hole one of the top destinations for skiers and riders. We average 458 inches of snowfall each season, and it’s usually light, powder snow.

AM: The partnership between JHMR and Kiehl's seems like a natural fit! For guests that are coming to the resort, how will they be able to engage with this collab?

AW: We are excited to offer sampling of Khiel’s products to guests throughout the season at the base of our lifts. Kiehl’s will also be hosting an activation in March, when guests will be able to check skin health, sample products, enjoy some NYC-inspired treats, and receive complimentary ski/board waxes.

Kiehl’s products are available for sale in key JHMR stores, including Jackson Hole Sports, Teton Village Sports, and Rodeo.

AM: Tell us about Kings and Queens.

AW: Kings & Queens is one of the top freeride events available to elite skiers and snowboarders, held at the world-famous Corbet’s Couloir. Athletes have pushed the limits of what’s possible in blending freeride in steep, big-mountain terrain. It also has an important history of equality, with equal prize money for women and men and the athletes themselves judging the competition and determining the winners. We can’t wait to see what goes down this year, with one of the best lineups of athletes we’ve ever had.

AM: Tell us about the lodging options that are available for those that want to spend time on the mountain as well as to have a luxury experience when they are off of it.

AW: From luxury stays at the Four Seasons to staying at the historic Hostel in Teton Village, there are lodging options available for everyone. My personal favorite is the Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, which blends luxury with authentic mountain living. I also recommend Jackson Hole Resort Lodging, which offers vacation rentals at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort that are perfect for a family looking for more space.

AM: We always enjoy having a great meal, especially when we're doing a lot of activities. Can you tell us about restaurants that are on property that we should have on our list?

AW: Piste Mountain Bistro offers a wonderful dining experience at the top of the Bridger Gondola. The menu is as spectacular as the views, which overlook the Jackson Hole valley.

AM: Can you tell us about Corbet's Cabin and their Top of the World Waffles? What are 3 of your favorites?

AW: Corbet’s Cabin serves world-famous waffles from the top of Rendezvous Mountain at 10,450’. Earlier this year USA Today named Corbet’s Cabin number two on its list of the 10 Best Ski Restaurants in North America survey. My favorites are the Gateway (with peanut butter and bacon), Trad (with brown sugar butter), and Italian, which features Nutella.

AM: Outside of activities on the mountain, what are other activities that are in the area that we should have in mind this winter?

AW: Skiing is my favorite activity in the winter, but there’s lots more to do in Jackson Hole. Check out the Town Square with shopping, sleigh rides on the National Elk Refuge, cross country skiing and snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park, photos at the elk antler arches, and enjoy a buffalo burger with a pint of the brand new Jackson Hole Lager.

AM: As we head into the Spring, the Rendezvous Music Festival will be on April 5th and 6th. What can you tell us about this?

AW: Rendezvous Music Festival is a free, two-day music festival that features incredible music acts set against the most iconic backdrops in Jackson Hole: Historic downtown Jackson Town Square and the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. This year’s lineup features platinum-selling indie rock heroes The Head and The Heart headlining with Jamestown Revival on April 5 in Town Square, and Mt. Joy headlining alongside Luke Grimes and Niko Moon on April 6 in Teton Village. Rendezvous Music Festival is an amazing weekend to experience all that Jackson Hole has to offer in the spring.

Rendezvous also gives guests the ultimate Jackson Hole experience. Aside from the concerts, festival goers are encouraged to enjoy the amazing skiing and riding, dining, nightlife, wildlife viewing, shopping, and other activities.

AM: What does Jackson Hole and JHMR offer in the summer and the fall months for those that are thinking ahead to booking at these times of the year?

AW: Jackson Hole is home to some of the country’s most inspiring natural beauty, including Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which borders JHMR. With abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, and high alpine terrain, GTNP offers amazing hiking, climbing, paddle boarding, and wildlife viewing. Jackson Hole is also a convenient homebase for access to Yellowstone National Park’s southern entrance, providing a plethora of lodging, dining, nightlife, and activity options that are unavailable in the park.

In the summer and early fall, JHMR offers a range of activities for the Jackson Hole traveler. The Aerial Tram and Bridger Gondola run for sightseeing, offering stunning views of the Jackson Hole valley as well as the Teton, Gros Ventre, and Snake River mountain ranges. The Jackson Hole Bike Park offers world-class downhill mountain bike trails for everyone from the novice to the highly technical and advanced rider. JHMR offers downhill bike rentals, private mountain bike guides, youth bike clinics, and adaptive mountain biking lessons for those looking to expand their skills. JHMR’s Via Ferrata, one of very few in the country, provides guests the opportunity to experience guided, safe high-alpine climbing along iron rungs, cable traverses, and suspended bridges, with no climbing experience necessary. Summer activities at JHMR also include world-class lift-to-lift hiking, disc golf, paragliding, the aerial ropes course, yoga, outdoor dining, and more.

AM: Are there additional events coming up that we should keep an eye out for?

AW: March at JHMR is full of action! The Jackson Hole Downhill and Dick’s Ditch Banked Slalom offer opportunities for all skiers and riders to find their need for speed, and spectators will also have the chance to watch skilled racers in the US Ski & Showboard U18 Alpine Nationals and Wyoming High School Championships.

Summer will also offer a full events calendar, including bike and running races, the Jackson Hole Food & Wine Fest, Bikes & Brews, and the world premiere of the latest film from Teton Gravity Research.

IG @kiehls

@jacksonhole

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 132 - 137 + 141 Jackson Hole Mountain Resort | PG 138 Kiehls

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see SLOPES & SAFE SUN | Kiehl's X Jackson Hole Mountain in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | NOBU HOTEL LONDON PORTMAN SQUARE

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square has an amazing experience that you can enjoy that brings in all of the senses as we kick off the new year with Shiawase. This is a Japanese philosophy that celebrates happiness, contentment, peace and wellbeing. It is a feeling that is associated with fulfillment and accomplishments and entails actions of devoting oneself to pursuits of enjoyment.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square embodies a guest experience that offers luxury, immersion-focused experiences and holistic practices, which is emphasized through the opportunity for guests to celebrate Shiawase. Each of these elements create a unique and fulfilling sense of wellbeing, personalised service, attention to detail, connection, mindfulness, and presence, which is reflected throughout the property's amenities and guest offerings to improve health, wellness, enjoyment and harmony.

Whether travelers are seeking a Winter escape after the busy holiday season or a little light and rejuvenation in the dark months, their Shiawase Overnight Stay Package offers the perfect two-night stay escape to reconnect and reboot the senses to feel more grounded and content as they enter 2024. Guests who book the package will have the opportunity to immerse into the Japanese culture and philosophy of Shiawase to celebrate wellbeing and happiness through an empowering Pilates class (this hotel is home to the world's first Nobu Pilates Reformer studio), a special Detox Bento Box created by Chef Michael that is paired with a range of Everleaf mocktails to enjoy at Nobu Restaurant.

The new Detox Bento Box at Nobu Restaurant combines high-energy ingredients that nourishes the body and combats common Winter deficiencies. Inside the box, guests will find a high-protein Sushi and Nigiri selection, a Dragon Fruit Ceviche, which is loaded with Vitamin C and prebiotic properties, as well as Vegetable Spicy Garlic Donburi, Grilled Chicken with Goma Dressing and Spinach Dry Miso. The box is also packed with antioxidants, miso which aids gut health, and sesame which supports digestion and bone health, whilst chili boosts immunity and promotes healthy skin. It is completed with a refreshing mix of seasonal berries with coconut and lime sorbet.

For those focused on Dry January, they have partnered with Everleaf, an award winning non-alcoholic aperitif, to bring a specially curated non-alcoholic cocktail menu to Nobu Bar and focus on wellness and renewal going into the new year.

NOBU HOTEL LONDON PORTMAN SQUARE

22 Portman Square,

London W1H

7BG, United Kingdom

london-portman.nobuhotels.com

IG @nobulondonportman

PHOTOGRAPHY | Nobu Hotel London Portman Square

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nobu Hotel London Portman Square in mag.

'TIS THE SEASON EDITORIAL

This month, our editorial shoot takes us to The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection, a Marriott property which is a living gateway to the past, present, and the future as it embodies the early 1900's of literary and Hollywood luminaries that graced the rooms of this hotel while currently being a destination of the modern era with an open path to the iterations it will take as the years continue to evolve.

The holiday season is definitely a marathon and not a sprint as it takes place over a number of weeks spanning between the fall and the winter. We wanted to look at the many days that take place that are casual and allow us to connect to one another as we make our way closer and closer to more signature events! We spend a lot of time with friends, family, significant others, co-workers and more. Our shoot took place at the Tallulah Bankhead suite at this iconic hotel that is in the heart of it all. We wanted to find out more about the history of this hotel, why it's an important part of NYC history, what guests can expect whether they're staying for business, a staycation, or a vacation and more. We took some time to catch up with The Algonquin Hotel's General Manager Willis Loughhead to find out more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to shoot at the Algonquin Hotel and being there, we learned a lot more about the property and its history. When did the Algonquin first open and can you take us back and through the storied history of this hotel as it's over 100 years old!

WILLIS LOUGHHEAD: The land for the Algonquin Hotel was purchased in 1901 for $180,000. In just under a year, at a cost of $500,000, the Algonquin Hotel was built and opened on November 22, 1902. Named for a New England Native American tribe, the hotel welcomed its first guests - a room with a bath set a traveler back $2 per night.

From the day it opened into the current time, the Algonquin has maintained close ties to the arts community with early residents who included the great star John Barrymore, Drew Barrymore’s grandfather, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. Writers, Playwrights, humorists and critics, as well as editors of both fact and fiction, converged on the Algonquin in the decade between 1919 and 1929, founding the legendary Round Table. My Fair Lady was written in suite 908. William Faulkner wrote his Nobel Prize speech in a room. The Algonquin has been both primary residence and preferred NYC hotel for incredible talent like Maya Angelou, Norman Mailer, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Steve Martin, and Lou Reed, to name a few. Films with a Round Table history include Citizen Kane, Giant, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, and many more.

I continue to host close friends in the arts community such as legendary musicians like Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, James Ijames, who celebrated his Tony nomination for his play Fat Ham under our roof, and both Colson Whitehead and Richard Hell, New York City legends who read in the Oak Room.

AM: We had the pleasure of shooting at the Tallulah Bankhead Suite (loved the phones which were such a great touch and the blue shade of the paint was so calming) and we know that there have been other suites that are named after notable people, can you tell us about them and why there is such a connection with these individuals?

WL: All 24 of our suites are named after our residents like Dorothy Parker 1106, Herbert Ross 610 and John Barrymore 209.

AM: Who have been some notable people that stayed here and can you tell us more about the connection between the hotel and literary figures? Tell us about the Algonquin Cat! We didn't see Hamlet, but we know that he is just as much a key figure as others who have stayed there.

WL: Hamlet is featured in a children’s book, The Algonquin Cat, illustrated by Hillary Knight who also illustrated the Eloise series set in another famous NYC hotel where I served as Executive Chef for a number of years before moving into Hotel Management.

AM: Tell us about The Blue Bar and The Lobby Lounge. Is there a signature drink that we should know about?

WL: The most famous cocktail is none too cleverly named, The Algonquin; a mix of woodsy rye whiskey, pineapple, bianco vermouth and some say a touch of Peychaud bitters like a Sazerac. We also currently feature a Hamlet cocktail with Rocky’s Brooklyn Botanical, Galliano L’Autentico and Whispering Angel Rosé. Our cocktail lists change frequently and right now I am working on some Holiday treats with Hot Cocoa and Mezcal.

AM: For those looking to grab a bite at the hotel, what can you tell us about The Round Table?

WL: The Blue Bar Restaurant & Lounge is a 3 meal restaurant built around the legendary Blue Bar which opened in 1902 with the hotel. At night we feature cocktail cuisine with classic New York City inspiration from the Oysters Rockefeller to a deli-style Reuben, and we do a brisk, healthy lunch with servers who I would put up against the best of the cities’ baristas. You should see the foam they get for a cappuccino even out of the almond milk that I prefer!

AM: For those that are looking to create an event whether it's a launch, sales meeting, etc - what can you tell us about event spaces that you have available?

WL: We host wonderful and intimate occasions in our small private library featuring Round Table first editions, signed collectibles, vintage 1950’s and 1960’s Playboy magazines and recent releases and memoirs like Thurston Moore’s Sonic Life which just came out. In the early 90's, I worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger as a wood burning oven chef at his restaurant Schatzi on Main in Venice California, so sitting amongst the Pulitzer Prize winners is a copy of Arnold’s latest, Be Useful. We also use the Library a great deal for Broadway stars to dress and have makeup done before premieres and on opening nights.

We also have the famous Oak Room, a wood paneled vintage street front room that can seat 110, for formal dinners next to Hirschfeld’s original artwork that adorns the walls.

AM: At the conclusion of our shoot, we actually took in some live music, which was a great way to decompress, what events do you typically have that guests or those grabbing a drink can enjoy?

WL: We have a culture and history of live music at the Algonquin. It was a personal goal of mine to breathe life into that tradition that started with Ella Fitzgerald and so many others like Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello, Harry Connick, and Oscar Peterson. On Tuesday nights, we feature classic cabaret music with the inimitable KT Sullivan, and on Thursdays, we have live piano and vocals with Rocco DellaNeve who is a legend in the making. You should hear his version of Enter Sandman by Metallica and he also does a killer New York State of Mind. Guest stars always drop by.

October and December are my charity months to raise money for Breast Cancer and Toys for Tots, so our programming expands greatly with Broadway’s biggest talent coming in to belt numbers and dance. Keep your eyes and ears open in December when we have 10 nights of incredible holiday entertainment including one “Santa Baby” drag show that will raise this 120 year old roof.

AM: Tell us about the kinds of rooms that are available and also provide additional details about the suite we were in, The Tallulah Bankhead Suite?

WL: Our suites and king rooms book first. We are a boutique sized hotel with 181 total rooms. None of our rooms are exactly the same and some rooms have a haunted history that has been verified by both official ghost hunters as well as nightly guests. Was it Robert Benchley who moved your towels around or turned on the lamps in your suite living room? Did Dorothy Parker open the shades that you closed before turning in? Perhaps.

In 1959, the filmmaker Preston Sturges passed away in a suite and Montgomery Clift was a frequent visitor. Perhaps.

AM: For a truly decadent stay for our readers is there anything that you can suggest that can be enjoyed at the hotel? I know at one time, you had a $10,000 Martini that had diamonds in it!

WL: We have two packages to note:

• A Dine with a Broadway Star package, where pre-theater you are able to dine at the Infamous Round Table with one of the stars of the show that you are seeing that evening.

• Hex and the City package for 2024 with our Resident Wellness Witch, CardsyB who will help you stay magical by reading your tarot cards and your energy so that you can straighten up and fly right in 2024. All guests will receive a reading, CardsyB’s memoir, a Stay Magical AF candle and a Bad@ss B*tches Tarot Deck.

AM: For those that are enjoying a staycation at the hotel during the holiday season, what are activities that you suggest that are in the neighborhood that they should take out?

WL: All the B’s: Bryant Park, Broadway and Books at the NYPL.

AM: For those who have never been to NYC and are here for vacation during the holidays, what would you suggest that they should do?

WL: Get inspired, keep a notebook, write your story. The good ol’ days are now and keep your mind wide open. New York is an awesome place to be surprised. Rockefeller Center has grown immensely and Central Park is just a shopping walk away up 5th avenue.

AM: For those that have corporate functions that are being held at the hotel, do you have any ideas of what they can enjoy?

WL: I partner with BroadwayPlus.com. One of my close friends - ask for Corey - is the guru of the VIP corporate experience with them. They book custom concerts, VIP tickets, arrange backstage meet and greets, and generally unlock all of the perks normally reserved for the highest tier of celebrity guest and bring it to the corporate accounts. We also encourage a Bowery Boys Walking Tour or one of the many sightseeing tours via boat around Manhattan that my team can arrange.

AM: For those that have corporate functions that are being held at the hotel, do you have any ideas of what they can enjoy?

WL: I partner with BroadwayPlus.com. One of my close friends - ask for Corey - is the guru of the VIP corporate experience with them. They book custom concerts, VIP tickets, arrange backstage meet and greets, and generally unlock all of the perks normally reserved for the highest tier of celebrity guest and bring it to the corporate accounts. We also encourage a Bowery Boys Walking Tour or one of the many sightseeing tours via boat around Manhattan that my team can arrange.

AM: The holiday season is a major time of year, are there events that the hotel will offer that we should know about and can share with our readers? Thinking ahead to Valentine's Day, is there anything that we should know?

WL: Book your 2 night Date Night Package now where you get a $150 credit in the Blue Bar, a bespoke scented candle, a chocolate rose and a guaranteed table in the restaurant.

If your pet is your date, perhaps our Fuwwy Fwiends Package, going live in December, with a:

• Waived pet fee

• Polaroid with Hamlet, you and your pet

• Vintage bronze “A” Algonquin pet tag

• Trip for your pet to the Algonquin Pawwty Chest, a treasure chest of toys and treats from our local pet shops

• Use of our cat or dog beds so that you and your date can sleep in peace

IG @algonquinnyc

It was such a pleasure to bring our editorial to life at the Algonquin that's filled with history, NY glamour, and a vibe of creativity that's all its own. This shoot included our focus on bringing 5 looks that lets us look at fall and winter holidays here in NY that you can enjoy on your next stay at the Algonquin as well as in the neighborhood.

TIS THE SEASON | CREDITS

LOUNGE LOOK PG 97 - 101 | Anna Zaia - PONO Colette Matte Earring | VIRGIN, SAINTS & ANGELS Saint Deco Cross Medallion + Delfina 6mm Crystal Jet Beaded Necklace | MAISON MIRU Floating Sphere Stacking Ring Trio - Gold | MAISON DE PAPILLON Jesse Silk Charmeuse Boyfriend Shirt Longtail | BCBG Ruched Velour Legging | Benjamin Simic - BEN SHERMAN Signature House Taped Track Pant |

FITNESS LOOK PG 88 - 95 | Anna Zaia - PONO Silvia H20 Earring Honey | AMELIA ROSE JEWELRY Fluorite Heishi Necklace Latte | ETTIKA Your Essential Flex Snake Chain 18k Gold Plated Bangle Set | MAISON DE PAPILLON Vail Cacoon Sweater | ABERCROMBIE + FITCH YPB Sculpt Squareneck Slim Tank + YPB MotionTEK High Rise Lined Workout Short | Benjamin Simic - ADIDAS RPT-02 SOL | MAISON MIRU Bubble Bracelet 7" | GREATNESS WINS Performance Training Tank | ATHLEISUREVERSE Bomber Jacket | ABERCROMBIE + FITCH Gym to Grocery Jogger |

WFH LOUNGE III PG 102 - 105 | Anna Zaia - VIRGINS, SAINTS + ANGELS Edie Crystal Post Earrings | PONO Sea Chain Necklace Latte | ATHLEISUREVERSE Cropped Fleece Hoodie + Jogger Set | SAVE THE DUCK Iria Long Hooded Puffer Vest | Benjamin Simic - | BEN SHERMAN Signature Zip-Through Track Jacket |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK IV PG 80 - 86 | Anna Zaia - DEEPA GURNANI FW23 Crab Earrings | DEEPA BY DEEPA GURNANI FW23 Loretta Necklace | ETTIKA Abstract Flex 18K Gold Plated Cuff | CARRERA 318/S | AUTUMN CASHMERE Sweater Dress | AEROSOLES Loafer | Benjamin Simic - MARC JACOBS Shield Sunglasses | BEN SHERMAN Lennon "Imagine" Mod Knit Stripe Polo | AUTUMN CASHMERE Cardigan | MAVI Jake | ADIDAS Samba |

(NYE/NIGHT OUT) LOOK V PG 106 - 112 | Anna Zaia - LELE SADOUGHI Crystal Pave Drop Earrings | DEEPA GURNANI Helga Clutch | VIRGIN, SAINTS & ANGELS Virgin Cameo Crystal Mesh Choker, Virgin Cameo Large Figaro Necklace 18 + Virgin Cameo Statement Clip Earrings | BCBG Oly Tiered Ruffle Evening Gown | NEVER FULLY DRESSED Black and Cream Coatigan | Benjamin Simic - UNTUCKIT Wool Rawlins Sport Coat + Wrinkle-Free Las Cases Shirt | MAVI Jake |

‘TIS THE SEASON | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Toni/Ann/Felicia Graham Beauty | NEW YORK MODEL MANAGEMENT Anna Zaia + Benjamin Simic |

IG @athleisuremag

@pvfarkas

@shes.kimmie

@toni__ann

@feliciagrahambeautyteam

@newyorkmodels

@_anna_zaia_

@lilboochie

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

For this shoot, Paul shot with a Sony Aplha A7R V, Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM Prime G, Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM1, Sony FE 50 mm F2.8 Macro Prime, Sony FE 90 mm F2.8 Macro G OSS Telephoto Macro Prime G, and Sony FE 70-200 mm F2.8 GM OSS II. In addition, he used SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 Kit + DJ280.

ATHLEISURE MAG SUMMIT EXCLUSIVE

We had a number of brands that were included in this shoot or supported this shoot and they wanted to make sure that you were able to enjoy purchasing your must-haves with a discount!

PONO

Receive 20% off your order with code ATHMAG95 for a 20% discount off PONO orders through 12/31/23.

SIRUI

Receive 5% off your order with code ATHLEISURE (Valid for all products, with a minimum purchase amount of $50; no expiration date).

VIRGINS, SAINTS, ANGELS

Receive 30% off (1x use per customer) your order with code ATHLEISURE30. There is no expiration date. Cannot be combined with other discount codes.

Read the NOV ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see ‘TIS THE SEASON Editorial in mag.

CONCORDE HOTEL

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.

Stay Longer Save More

The longer you stay, the more you save. Rest easier with NYC luxury at a great price.

• Stay 4+ Nights, Save 20%

• Stay 7+ Nights, Save 25%

• Stay 14+ Nights, Save 30%

• Stay 21+ Nights, Save 40%

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.

IG @concordehotelnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Concorde Hotel

Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see Concorde Hotel in mag.

ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #94 | LAIRD HAMILTON + GABBY REECE

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.

ATHLEISURE LIST | HALIFAX HOBOKEN @ W HOTEL

We ferried across the Hudson River from NYC to Halifax Hoboken at the W Hotel. Known for their Nova Scotian cuisine which is associated with simple food made with few (often in-house curated and made) ingredients, the cuisine includes Halibut, Swordfish, Haddock, Lobster, Oysters, Mussels, Clams, amd Seaweeds. Chef Seadon Shouse makes his own salt, smoked meats, spice blends, corn syrup (from NJ corn), as well as liquors such as his own Vermouth.

When dining here, earth tones mix with wood tones to create a comfortable ambiance set against full windows that look out on the Hudson River with a stunning Manhattan view. Named after the capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is a creative collaboration between Nova Scotia fare, local farm and fishery delights and sustainable cuisine. Each dish has locally sourced meat, produce, dairy, or Marine Stewardship Council-certified fish.

They have a good mix of coastal inspired dishes and land based dishes on all of our menus. Whether you're enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there is always something special in each dish that comes directly from the Chef's childhood home in Nova Scotia.

The summer menu is focused on a lighter fair while the fall will have more grilled items as opposed to those that are braised. For the summer, there's NJ heirloom tomatoes, NJ corn and summer squashes, where in the fall they will use more roots (parsnips, rutabaga, large beets) and fall squashes (butternut, delacata, Kabocha).

3 Appetizers we suggest are Sea Scallops Carpaccio with kohlrabi, horseradish remoulade, fresno peppers, dill oil, lemon viniagrette, Lamb Meatballs with Smoked Gorgonzola Fondue, and Maine Mussels with Roasted Pepper Butter & White Wine.

Our favorite 3 mains are: BBQ Grilled Nova Scotia Swordfish with Eggplant Caponata, Kale, Crispy Eggplant, Sesame Seed Puree, Rabbit Duo with Braised Leg, Grilled Rabbit Sausage, Pickled NJ Peaches, Lentils, and NJ Sea Scallops with Nova Scotia Sea Truffle Butter, Toasted Barley, Braised Leeks.

We suggest pairing your bites this summer with: Cool Hemingway with Hardshore Gin, Cucumber, Absinthe, Sparkling Wine, Watermelon Drop with Grey Goose Essence, Chambord, Orange Liquor, and Strawberry Field with Appleton Rum, Strawberries, Elderflower, Whey.

Complete your meal with: Apple Fritters with salted caramel, peanut butter ganache, grapefruit campari, NJ Peach Pavlova with spiced meringue, honeycomb, lemon, whipped cream, and Almond Blackberry Cheesecake with ginger crumble, almond brittle, orange blackerries

HALIFAX HOBOKEN @ W HOTEL

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PHOTOGRAPHY | Halifax Hoboken

Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Halifax Hoboken @ W Hotel in mag.

TRUE HOSPITALITY | CHEF MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO

We're really excited about this month's cover, Bravo's Top Chef Season 6 Winner, and Titan Judge on Food Network's Bobby's Triple Threat, Chef Michael Voltaggio. He also makes a number of guest judge appearances on Guy's Grocery Games as well as Beat Bobby Flay! When he's not on set, you can find him taking his dishes and experiences to the next level alongside his brother Chef Bryan Voltaggio whether it's at Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, Vulcania, Retro, Volt Burger and other projects! As someone who we have admired in terms of his culinary point of view, technique and keeping hospitality at the forefront of all that he does, we wanted to sit down with him to talk about how he got into the industry, where his passion comes from, how he has navigated the hospitality space, his approach to his concepts, working alongside family, Season 2 of Bobby's Triple Threat and how he has taken a number of opportunities to connect with guests and viewers as well as to stay sharp in and out of the kitchen!

ATHLEISURE MAG: So, when did you first fall in love with food?

CHEF MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO: Oh wow, I don’t think that I have ever been asked that!

AM: We ask the tough questions around here!

CHEF MV: I think that it happened around necessity. I would say that I first fell in love with it when I understood the creativity that went into it. Because, I was a very, very picky eater as a kid and when I got my first job cooking, I started to look at ingredients as a kid meaning that things like cauliflower for instance – I remember thinking to myself that if I could make this, in a way that I like it, then people who actually like cauliflower will love it. So for me, I started seeing how creativity could sort of, not only like give me a chance to artistically express myself, but also be a chance for me to maybe make ingredients more accessible for more people because it made the ingredients more accessible to me. So I think that realizing that the creative part was as important as the technical part, I think that was the moment that I fell in love with it.

I always knew that I wanted to do something creative, but up until I was 15 or 16 years old, which is when I started cooking, I wasn’t being creative yet. Like, I was playing sports in high school and I wasn’t the best student and I was sort of interested in a lot of things that were creative, but I didn’t have a creative discipline that I could focus on myself.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a chef? Taking something that you just enjoyed and then making it as a professional.

CHEF MV: I mean, I think that it happened as sort of a default. Like, I was doing it to just sort of survive. I was one of those people that started cooking – because when I did it, it wasn’t like it was today where it was like, “oh, you’re going to be a chef!” It was more like, “yeah, I figured that you would end up in the food industry.” I sort of feel like I woke up and 25 years later, I still have the same job and I’m just like, “wow, how did this happen?” I’m in my profession prior to even graduating high school. My career has started already, but I didn’t know that at the time. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was already on my path. I’ve loved food ever since I could remember like 4 years old and I have had this job since I was 15. Not many people can say that. I’m approaching 30 years of experience and I feel like I am just getting started.

I would say that my career, after my apprenticeship, that I did at The Greenbriar Hotel when I went there when I was 19 years old to start that program, that I really felt like that, “ok this is what I am going to be doing for at least a substantial amount of time.” I had never gotten to experience any form of luxury in my life at that point, either because I grew up sort of pretty humble or in humble surroundings I would say. When I got to work in luxury, I knew that not only did I want to do that because I wanted to take care of people at that level, but I knew that at some point in my life, I wanted to feel it myself as a guest. So I knew that the only way that I would be able to experience luxury is if I understood how to work in it at the highest level and then hopefully one day, get to sit down at the table for myself.

AM: I can understand that feeling!

How do you define your style of cooking?

CHEF MV: It’s weird because if you had asked me that question 10 years ago, I would have answered it differently than I would today. The reason being that I think that I have obviously matured a lot as a person, but more specifically in my professional career, I think that I have matured a lot in the sense that I don’t know if I have a style and I think that that is interesting about the way that I like to cook now. I’m really still obsessed with learning the things that I haven’t learned how to do yet. So for me, it usually starts with something that I want to learn and then I build something off of that, that I can then offer to my guests.

So, let’s say for instance that I want to study a specific cuisine, I’ll go and study that cuisine and then figure out how that fits into one of our restaurant concepts. Now that we have different concepts, it forces me to study different kinds of cuisine.

I would say that the style that we communicate in the restaurants on our menus is that we like to sort of under offer and over deliver. We like to write descriptions of menus that are familiar to people and that almost seems not that exciting so that we get that chance to sort of surprise them and wow them. I think that that’s oftentimes how we approach a lot of the things that we do is to sort of under offer and over deliver.

AM: I really like that.

Who are your culinary influences?

CHEF MV: Wow, that is a tough one because I mean, I would say the one culinary influence that I have had in my career and this is a direct influence, because I have worked with him is, José Andrés (The Bazaar by José Andrés, Mercado Little Spain, Nubeluz). For someone that made me look at food completely differently, it would be him and I think that a lot of people who think of José, they think of the modern things that he has done in restaurants and that’s a big part of it, but when you talk to José, the thing that he is the most passionate about outside of feeding the world and helping people right now which is incredible, is actually the traditional food of Spain. Seeing him communicate to me that without a foundation like that, you can’t really do all this modern stuff because at the end of the day, the food has to be delicious. Learning that from him was probably a sort of pivotal moment in my career, because I was doing a lot of things then because I wanted to learn all of these modern techniques and I want to do all of these modern things. I think that often, people get caught up in the exercise of that and lose touch of the hospitality or the make it taste good aspect of it. I would think that I really settled into a level of confidence where I worked with him that would sort of influence me for the rest of my career.

AM: I first became aware of you on Season 6 of Bravo’s Top Chef. I’m a huge fan of that show and seeing you along with competing with your brother on the same season, what was that like for you and why did you want to be part of that show?

CHEF MV: So, when I went on Top Chef, this was sort of a moment in the industry where that was really the beginning of how you had the legends like Julia Child (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, The Way to Cook, The French Chef Cookbook), you had Emeril (Emeril’s, Emeril’s Coastal, Meril), you had Wolfgang (Spago, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, CUT) and the list goes on and on – Yan Can Cook, Ming Tsai (Bābā, Mings Bings, Simply Ming) – they were cooking on television and the list goes on and on and on. They were a handful of real chefs that were cooking on TV and then there was sort of the entertainment side of it. I think that when Top Chef came out, I think that that was the first show or competition that was pulling chefs from kitchens that were really grinding and really after it and giving them a platform to sort of go out and come out from being those introverts in the back of house to like these big personalities!

So I think that when the opportunity came, I was like, I wonder if there is a bigger way to sort of bridge this gap between people that are actually chefs and people that are just sort of chefs on TV. Can we really tell this story in a bigger way and connect to a bigger audience and through that, grow the interest and the curiosity in a higher level of cooking or a different level. Whether it’s making people culturally more aware for those that are interested in cultural cuisine or demographics of cuisine or whatever it is, can you educate people by entertaining them? So I didn’t see it as, I want to be on TV and I think that there were certainly a few of those even on my season on Top Chef that were there for that reason. I signed up to do that competition because I really believed that I could win it. I think that some people get involved in programs like this not necessarily thinking that, “hey, I can really win this thing.” For me, I thought, “I could win this thing and this could create an opportunity.” I couldn’t predict what you’re seeing today where every chef at every level or cook for that matter is in some way trying to communicate what they do through some form of social media or entertainment. Back when I did Top Chef, it was like there was this line in the sand – these are the chefs, the real chefs and these are the ones that are on TV, but not everyone was doing television or some form of visual media to tell their story. Then you look at today and everyone is doing it. I think that the risk that I took was worth it, but I also wanted to learn a different kind of skill set, like I wanted to learn.

I think that I was doing this ad for I think Vitamix and I remember going up to the set and I had a teleprompter in the camera and I was reading my lines off the lens while doing my little demo and I was with the blender that came with it and it was like, “welcome to your new Vitamix.” They kept telling me, “Michael, we can see your eyes reading the words in the lens – we can see you doing it off the teleprompter. Can you try and memorize at least part of it?” Again, in that moment, I was like, ok if I’m going to do this, then I need to get good at it. By getting better at television or getting better at sort of some of these visual mediums, I felt that I was getting better at communicating with my guests too. I think that as somebody who works in hospitality, it started to pull another part of myself out that would allow me to want to communicate with my guests even more. I felt like that moment and all of it I can credit back to the opportunity that I had on Top Chef. I think that outside of the exposure, outside of the money, and outside of the study that I had to put into the food, I learned so much going through that process. Even I think as a company owner, how to better and more effectively communicate - I think that that is something that I was missing at that time of my life.

“I think that I have obviously matured a lot as a person, but more specifically in my professional career, I think that I have matured a lot in the sense that I don’t know if I have a style and I think that that is interesting about the way that I like to cook now. I’m really still obsessed with learning the things that I haven’t learned how to do yet. So for me, it usually starts with something that I want to learn and then I build something off of that, that I can then offer to my guests.”

— Chef Michael Voltaggio

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to open up your own restaurants as that’s such a big step!

CHEF MV: So I was in Pasadena and I was running a restaurant there called The Dining Room at The Langham. They were actually super supportive and that’s where I was when I won Top Chef. I had left The Bazaar and left José. I was working at this restaurant in Pasadena when this show started to air. They were super supportive and they were like, this is your project, this is your room. We’ll grow you here, you’ll grow something big with the hotel and all of that. In my head I was like, do I need to go and do this on my own before I can go and do this in somebody else’s environment?

So they were very supportive in saying, “hey, we’ll renovate a restaurant and conceptualize something around what your goals are.” I was like, “this is super incredible and I think that I would want to do that.” But then I got a phone call and somebody said that they had a restaurant space and they were interested in meeting me and investing in me. At that moment, I was like, “oh, it can happen that easy!” They had read and heard about some of my accomplishments and they genuinely wanted to invest in me. And so I was like, now I need to see if I can do this. So, I took the meeting, we negotiated the deal and this person, his name is Mike Ovitz he started CAA. I don’t know if you are familiar with them.

AM: Very much so!

CHEF MV: He basically said, “what do you need to open the restaurant?” I have the space. I said that, “I really wanted someone to get behind whatever vision I have because this is the first chance that I have to do this and I kind of want to figure out how to do this on my own. What I really just need is money.” He gave it to me. He got behind me, we were partners for over 7 years and we still remain friends to this day, and he was a really good partner in the sense that he was there, but he wasn’t in my face with expectations. He built his career as somebody who supported artists or somebody who supported creatives. As someone who supported creatives, I think he did just that. I think that as a restaurant partner, it was the best scenario that I could find myself in because this was a person that built his career supporting creatives. So then, the money was there and it was time to start opening the restaurant. As you can imagine, I had to learn everything. I had to learn the legal side of it, I had to learn the human resources side of it, I had to learn the accounting side of it – I had to learn how to become a president of a company – not just how to run a menu. That’s the part that I hadn’t realized that I had signed up for at that time. You don’t know all of the nuance of starting a business until you start a business and then it’s, wait a second, I have 10 full-time jobs now!

AM: Pretty much!

CHEF MV: And so, I think again, if you look at that experience, it’s very similar to what happened on Top Chef. Here I was not realizing that I was now going to acquire a whole new set of skills that I didn’t have yet and so for me, you have this trajectory where you’re building on top of previous successes and you’re combining those successes to get more than you have to put yourself in a situation where you are learning. Then you have to retain that information and then you have to be able to teach that to other people, because it's the only way that you can grow your team around you. If you don’t have the tools to give them to be successful in your role or if you don’t know the expectation of the people that are going to work with you, then they’re not going to have a good experience and neither are you and neither is your business. So, for me, it was really important that I really understood everything and every layer that I was responsible for.

AM: You and your brother back in 2016 opened Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse together which was your first venture together. What was that like doing that especially as siblings?

CHEF MV: I think that at that point, we had gone in separate directions from each other and I think that we realized that we could accomplish a lot more if we worked together so we started flirting with the idea, and so when MGM called and said, "we have a restaurant in the Maryland/DC area and we’re building this hotel, we think that you should be involved in that," at the time I was living in California and I had Ink – it was still open. My brother was living in Maryland. The reason that the call came in was that somebody who had previously been my boss was the one that was making that call. They had called me saying that they had been watching my career since we had worked together. We'd be interested n potentially doing the restaurant project together at the MGM National Harbor and I was like, in that moment, my brother still lives there, I live in California this story makes the most sense that Bryan and I are both locals from that area and we should do this together. So that became the pilot for how we work in perpetuity. Bryan and I are now business partners in pretty much everything that we do in the restaurant space. So creatively, logistically, work wise – everything involved, it just made more sense. If we work together, we can work half as harder or accomplish twice as much. Just having that support system and having something that you trust as a partner, we didn’t realize how beneficial that was going to be for us moving forward. Because here we are this many years later and we haven’t broken up yet. I think that speaks volumes for how you can do it the right way. There is nothing wrong with family getting into business together.

AM: I love that! We also cover a lot of EDM artists, we enjoy going to music festivals and you guys have Volt Burger which has been in various festival circuits and Live Nation venues. Why did you want to be part of this experience in this particular way?

CHEF MV: I think again back when I talked about entertainment as a medium or a discipline that would be a great tool to connect more people, I think that when Live Nation came to us with the opportunity of getting Volt Burger put together and being in multiple venues across the country, I think we’re in 30+ venues at this point. I think again, we get to connect to that many people that fast. So, for us and Tom See who is the President of Venues for Live Nation, when he called, he really – you could hear it in his voice and see it in his face, that he had a real commitment to elevate just not the food and beverage experience, but the hospitality experience at the venues, I think that when you look at companies that are willing to invest in the safety and the overall experience of their customer base, like I could feel it and I could feel his commitment to where they wanted to do something bigger and do something better. A lot of people call with sentences and statements like that, but they don’t really get behind it.

AM: Right!

CHEF MV: Then you get passed off to somebody else and then it sort of dilutes itself. I think that with Tom and his team, and Andy Yates, Head of Food and Beverage – they’re both personally up to Mr. Rapino the President of Live Nation – they’re personally committed to making sure that what they’re going to do is going to happen. I think that for us, we have learned just as much from them as they have learned from us. I think that again, it’s all about that learning aspect of it. When you can be in multiple cities at once, and I’m not saying physically. We are sometimes physically present at these venues, but it’s a chance for people who don’t necessarily have a direct access to us to sometimes go back to that surprise moment that I talked about when we can under offer and over deliver.

Imagine a fan – or somebody that has always just wanted to try something from the Voltaggio Brothers – they go to a concert to see their favorite artist and then they’re walking through and they see this big banner of Bryan and I on the side of a burger stand and I can only imagine in that moment from them that they have that reaction again! It's like, "oh wait, I'm here to see this musician and there’s the Voltaggio burger!” In my head, I’m envisioning people having an even better time. This point in my career, if you were to ask me what my most important part of my career is, it's hospitality. I genuinely still get excited when I see someone’s reaction on their face when they taste something that I have made. I’m not like, “yeah I knew it was going to be that good,” I’m more like, “wow, thank you! It means so much to me that you like it that much!” It makes me want to go and do more. I genuinely feed off the energy of the people that I take care of. I think that a lot of chefs and a lot of restaurateurs lose touch with that.

AM: This year, you opened Vulcania at Mammoth Mountain. What can guests expect when we’re going there?

CHEF MV: Mammoth Mountain made a commitment to elevate the food and beverage experience. It’s one of the best outdoor recreational mountains in the whole country and in all four seasons. In the summer time, we're going into that now, they still have snow – people are still snowboarding there until like August 1st or 2nd – skiing as well. But again, here’s an opportunity to connect to a whole different demographic that I have yet to really have a chance to get to.

I think that the most unique food markets to elevate the food right now are in markets where there aren’t huge saturation of other restaurants. 1, because there isn’t that much competition and 2, that means that there is probably a need for it right there. So getting to sort of pioneer and go into an area that there isn’t a lot of chef-driven sort of concepts in Mammoth and them wanting to bring that there, to me meant that there was a need for it. Their guests were asking for something different or maybe more and again they made that commitment to hospitality to provide that.

So, that’s when we were like, how do we create a concept that is appropriate for families, appropriate for a very transient sort of guest, but also please people that need fuel to go out and do all of these extreme sport activities. That’s when we were like, we’re Italian and our last name is Voltaggio, we haven’t really done an Italian American concept together, let’s use this as an opportunity to now study this and to do that cuisine together and expand on our repertoire and our portfolio of what we can offer moving forward. So, we dug deep and dove deep into the research. We have always made our own pastas and sauces, and pizza at various different opportunities, but never brought it all together in one restaurant concept.

Then we got to dig deep into even naming the restaurant. Vulcania actually means volcano. Mammoth sits in a volcano more or less. That mountain is a volcano. And the first ship that brought our family to the US was the Vulcania!

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF MV: Yeah, so Voltaggio’s that traveled from Italy to NY, came on a ship called the Vulcania. So, the whole thing just came together. You can never say that something is your favorite restaurant. I just love the restaurant, I love the location, I love our partners, and I think that being part of a destination like that, the restaurant itself becomes a destination too. That’s a pretty special thing!

AM: That’s insane and I love the story involved in that!

I also love the idea of Retro. I like that it is kind of feeding into that 80s/90s feel with fashion and entertainment and its confluence. Can you tell me more about the concept and what the vibe of this restaurant is?

CHEF MV: The goal – well 1, it was a very fast turnaround. We had to come up with a really strategic way to sort of redecorate or revamp a room if you will. When MGM came to us with the opportunity and as you mentioned, we already had a restaurant with them at MGM National Harbor and so my favorite thing about our partnership with MGM is the only reason we don’t do something is because we haven’t thought of it. Any idea that you have, they have the resources and the ability to bring it to life as long as it makes sense you know?

I look at that space and Charlie Palmer (Charlie Palmer Steak, Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar, Dry Creek Kitchen) is one of my mentors as well, how do we take this iconic space at the Mandalay Bay and how do we make it enough ours so that it doesn’t feel like what it was while not taking away from what it was. Meaning, Aureole which was one of the first restaurants in Vegas that really told the story of these chef partnerships.

So we approached it with, what if we like – we moved around a lot as kids – what if we treated it like we did as kids where our parents had us in a new house and we got to decorate our new room. That’s effectively what it is. We call restaurants the room – the dining room is the room. So, let’s go decorate our room. We started down this path of what that would look like and I always had this in my head. I used to work with this chef named Katsu-ya Uechi (Katsu-ya, The Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya, Kiwami) and we talked about a concept that would be retro modern meaning that you could start with retro dishes and modernize them a little bit. I remember having to call Katsu-ya and say, “hey, I know that we had this conversation together and I know that this was something that you were really big on and wanted to do one day. Is it ok if I sort of do this concept, but in a much different way than what we discussed?” We had both nerded out on this back in the day and this opportunity came up where I could bring it to life. He was like, “yeah, go for it. If anyone could do it, it’s you.” So my brother and I decided to noodle on the idea and using that as the foundation to build this whole concept on top of.

What if everything that was important to us in our childhood through our personal and professional careers, what if we could tell that story through a restaurant. So down to the white CorningWare pots with the blue flowers on the side of it, we’re serving food in that. To the décor, Keith Magruder, if you look up BakersSon on Instagram, he’s an artist that did a lot of the art in there. So there’s a lot of painted album covers that throw back and tribute to the music in the 80s and 90s. He did things like make 2 scale 3 dimensional water color paintings of Nintendos and Blockbuster Videos and he made these cool paintings of gummy bears. He did an Uno Table and these 3 dimensional donuts and things like that. So what we did was we went into this room and just like when we were kids, it was kind of like, I’m going to hang up my favorite poster on the wall and I’m going to put up a couple of tchotchkes in the space and it's going to be mine.

What we didn’t realize was going to happen is that all the creative people in the company that worked for the company got behind it in such a big way that everyone started to contribute to the process! Down to Tony Hawk sent us one of his skateboard decks and wrote, “Go Retro” on it so that we could hang it up inside the tower. It was just one of those things where it was like, you have to be so careful when you have an idea because you don’t know how fast it can go and how many people will embrace it and get behind it. Before you know it, you can wake up and have something as incredible as Retro.

The food, we have Pot Roast and Mac & Cheese. But our Mac & Cheese, we make the noodles ourselves, we make this cloud of cheesy sauce that sits on top of it that’s sort of feels like the sauce that would come in a package of Velveeta, but we’re making it from really good cheddar cheese, we’re making a bechamel, we’re emulsifying the cheese into it and aerating it with a whip cream siphon – we’re making our own Cheez Whiz more or less!

“Then we got to dig deep into even naming the restaurant. Vulcania actually means volcano. Mammoth sits in a volcano more or less. That mountain is a volcano. And the first ship that brought our family to the US was the Vulcania!”

— Chef Michael Voltaggio

AM: Oh my God! It’s the best Cheez Whiz ever though!

CHEF MV: Yeah! It’s like, how do we start with this idea and then turn it into something that can be appropriate in an elevated dining experience? We’ve got a lot of that sprinkled throughout the menu. We also have things that are comforting too.

It’s not just like kitschy or trying to do something for the sake of doing it. Our Caesar Salad is just a Caesar Salad, but then we serve it with a little bag of churros that we make out of Parmesan Cheese. Our Mozzarella Caprese is a piece of cheese that we dip in a Pomodoro skin that creates a skin of tomato on the outside of it so that it looks like a tomato, but it tastes like a tomato sauce and it’s on the outside of a piece of cheese.

AM: Oh wow! Earlier this week on your IG Stories, I want to say that you had an avocado, but it was a pit that looked like a gelee – what was that?

CHEF MV: So, we had a dish and once again, this was us reacting to guest feedback, we had a dish that I called back, we had a dish that I called Chips and Guacamole on the menu. So, we did this giant rice paper wafer and put a confit of avocado in the middle of it. But the problem was when it went out to the guests, they said, “well, that’s not Chips and Guacamole. I don’t know what that is.” I think that some chefs, their egos would not allow them to say, “ok, do I listen to the guests and do I make a change?” So, when I hear stuff like that and it’s consistent, I’m like, “ok, I need to change this dish!” It’s not living up to the guest’s expectations. So, then I was like, Avocado Toast, bread would be more appropriate to eat with this. I wonder how I could make this retro. I learned the technique of spherification from José Andrés. It was created by chefs, Ferran Adrià and Albert Adrià (Tickets, Enigma, Little Spain) back in El Bulli back in the early 90s. It’s not retro. We’re in 2023! Can I pay homage to it without saying, “oh that’s such a dated technique, that I can’t believe that you’re doing it.” It was such an important technique that it changed like, José, the Adrià Brothers, they made a global impact on how chefs looked at food. So for me, I was like, I think that I can make a black garlic purée and spherify that the way that I learned how to do it when I was working with José and put that in the middle of an avocado that I’m putting in the oven and put that on a plate and put a couple of other seasonings on it and put it with some really good crusty bread and serve it as an Avocado Toast.

AM: That looked so ridiculously good!

CHEF MV: But you know what’s so crazy? Some people today, like the next generation of people that are out eating in restaurants, they never saw spherification. Like let’s say that someone who is 19 or in their 20s or whatever, they missed that whole thing. We have this obsession with trends and we program our brains to say if it’s trendy, then eventually, it will go out of style. Therefore, you have to forget about it.

Where kale had its moment, like last year, or 2 or 3 years ago that the Kale Caesar Salad became so popular people were like it’s so popular, you can’t put it out because it is on everyone’s menu. Or like Pork Belly, it disappeared! Like Pork Belly was on every single menu and then all of a sudden, one day you woke up and you’re like, “where’s all the Pork Belly?” Every chef was cooking it, but I think that people got it to be trendy because they liked it and that’s what they wanted. We have this innate desire for change when change isn’t necessary. I think that spherification got trendier and then people were like, what’s the next cool thing? But then when we do that, we forget that the cool things that we have and that these chefs have sort of put forward to learn, we feel this pressure to not embrace it or to not do it anymore because now we have to create the next big thing.

AM: Yup!

CHEF MV: Why not just keep it around? So we brought that back and not only as a nod to the Avocado Toast, but a nod to the individuals that were behind that technique. I thought that it was so cool when we first learned it and I didn’t think that it needed to go anywhere.

AM: I love how you approach food like that. As someone who in addition to being the Co-Founder of Athleisure Mag is a fashion stylist and a designer, there are many times when I’m like, “yeah, this is a great look, we don’t need to lock it as a trend that has an expiration or pause around it. We can still use this.” I love that you’re talking about something that I fight about on the fashion side all the time.

CHEF MV: I think that there are a lot of similarities between fashion and food too! When you think about the sustainability aspect, when you think about again – in your world, and I think that that’s why I love fashion as much as I do. But now, even in buying my clothes, I go look for old things. Like, I don’t want the newest trendiest thing, I want the old trendy thing, why did it go away? Where did it go? I think that when you look at some of the most successful brands now, they’re the ones that can continue to just bring it back whether it’s recycled with an actual item or an idea, it’s that storytelling that I think that people actually gravitate towards.

AM: I totally agree! I always tell people it’s about going back to the archives!

CHEF MV: Yeah!

AM: There’s so many things that you can spring back from it. You can put a twist on it and do whatever. But the archives are the archives for a reason! They’re going to be here much longer than some of these other things that are going to be a flash in the pan.

CHEF MV: I feel like people can go shopping in their own closet. If you’ve saved stuff from 3 years ago that you haven’t worn and then all of a sudden, you’re like, “wait a second, I’m going to look back at that.” Maybe you got something as a gift that you would have never worn when they gave it to you and then you rediscovered it again in your closet and I think that any creative could recognize that with whatever kind of discipline that they have. Just go back into your closet and try something old.

“But now even in buying my clothes, I go look for old things. Like, I don’t want the newest trendiest thing, I want the old trendy thing, why did it go away? Where did it go? I think that when you look at some of the most successful brands now, they’re the ones that can continue to just bring it back whether it’s recycled with an actual item or an idea, it’s that storytelling that I think that people actually gravitate towards.”

— Chef Michael Voltaggio

AM: Exactly!

Since being on Top Chef, you have been on so many TV shows judging and guest hosting and even doing series, why did you want to add these into your portfolio?

CHEF MV: I think it’s because I don’t want to become complacent. I think that my biggest fear in life was going to be that I would get stuck doing the same job every single day. Although that’s great for some people, and it’s necessary to have those who are committed to that, it didn’t work for me. I never had the attention span to do just that. And so, as I get those opportunities, I think that it make me better for what I do. For instance, if I go and I have 4 days where I can work on this television show, after the 4 days are done, I’m excited to go back to my restaurant. Maybe in those 4 days while I was gone, I learned something while I was there that I could bring back to my restaurant. For me, again, it’s about learning. I’m learning. I get to do something that I would have never had the opportunity to do. When I started cooking, if you told me that I would be doing dozens of episodes of television a year or any television at all, I remember when I was doing some local television and how nervous I was. I was like, wait, I didn’t sleep and I was telling everyone and it was local news! I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet for me to able to get to do. Then, fast forward to now and I’m a show that can reach millions of people. So, not only did I see the opportunity, but I feel a sense of responsibility to use that platform the right way and I think that I just love the fact that I get to communicate with that many people at once. I think that it’s an opportunity for me to tell my story, but also to continue to contribute to this commitment of hospitality that I signed up for. I’m not just making people feel good, I genuinely do this because I love the fact that what I do that maybe I can make someone else smile or whatever. I know how that sounds, but I genuinely believe that! The fact that I do that and I get to call it work is so important!

AM: Well, I know that you always bring so much energy when I see you on different shows like Bobby’s Tripple Threat, we’ve had interviews with Chef Brooke Williamson (Playa Provisions, Top Chef Season 14 Winner, Tournament of Champions Season 1 Winner) a number of different times. When I saw that you were on there, I couldn’t wait to see what you would do. Or, if I see you on Guy’s Grocery Games – it’s really cool to see your point of view when you're doing all of these different things.

CHEF MV: Yeah, when you look at the competition side of cooking too and what I learned very quickly is that it’s a very different discipline. A lot of super talented chefs who are in restaurants struggle with the competition side of it, especially if there are a lot of different cameras and stuff around them. So again for me, I thought, if I could become good at that, then that’s another level of chef that I can become good at and I think that what’s interesting about that is that I do it so much that the first time I competed, I took it so seriously. I still do! I get so much anxiety every time that I’m about to go. But then I do it so much and I started to look at competition cooking like the sport of cooking.

AM: Yup!

CHEF MV: It really is and it’s not for me as much about entertaining and doing a demo of what you’re doing. It’s more so that people can watch it and cheer for their favorite athlete and I think that that's what culinary competition really is.

So now, we win some and we lose some. You have to learn from those losses and I think that those losses are the ones that I have learned the most from. I think that anyone that competes in any competitive setting would say the same thing. You have to experience those losses to then go back and say, how can I be better so that I can get more of those wins. I think that it became a personal obsession because I wanted to continue to learn and win! Because it really is a sport – it’s a sport!

AM: Are there any projects that you have coming up that you can share that we should keep an eye out for? I feel like you’re always doing something!

CHEF MV: One thing that I can say is that Season 2 of Tripple Threat will start airing in August! I think that that’s the next big thing that we’re excited about. Then it’s about just getting back to work with Bobby Flay (Amalfi, Bobby’s Burgers, Brasserie B), Brooke and Tiffany Derry (Roots Southern Table, Roots Chicken Shak, Top Chef Season 7 Fan Favorite). I think that there is more to that than what everyone has seen so far! I think that for me, that is really one of my favorite projects that we're doing right now. Myself, Brooke, and Tiffany - Bobby included, we’ve all become so close to one another through this project and I think that more of that – I want to be able to keep my knives sharp and my brain sharper. I think that the best opportunity for me to do that is growing my relationship with Live Nation, Bryan and I are really sort of excited about the amount of support that we’ve gotten from MGM with every project that we have in the works with them. I think that for now, honestly what I’d like to focus on is focusing on what I have going on. I think that right now is a good point to say that I am satisfied with everything that we have our hands around right now. Let’s just focus on doing the best job that we can at that and then maybe next year, pivot and start focusing on some other stuff. For now, I have a lot of responsibilities and I have a chance to make a lot of people happy and I’m going to focus on that!

AM: As someone who is so busy, how do you take time for yourself so that you can just reset?

CHEF MV: I mean, I think that you have to force it. I have a tendency to say yes to everything and I think that I grew up working more 7 day weeks then I did 5. I would say that I did that for a good part of my life. I wanted to do it, but I did it because I had to as well. I mean, I had 2 daughters when I was young and I remember when I was doing my apprenticeship, on my days off I was standing in a deer processing plant at a local butchers house processing meat and stuff to pay the bills you know? I think that my work ethic is something that is really important to me and it’s something that I don’t want to lose touch of. I think that it’s a super valuable asset, but at the same time, I’m allowing myself to do that, to take a couple of things and to just go do something. Like yesterday was my daughter’s birthday and it’s a little extreme, but my brother flew me here from Vegas, we were at our restaurant doing an event and I was like, “I need to get to my daughter, it’s her birthday.” She’s down here in medical school, she’s going to become a doctor.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF MV: Not only is it like a Voltaggio going to college which is one thing! But a Voltaggio becoming a doctor is another! My other daughter is here as well and she’s like also doing her own thing and so when you have those moments to spend time with family, my brother flew my wife and I down here just to spend 2 days with my daughters here. I think that family time is so key!

AM: Your smile is so big right now!

CHEF MV: Well because I think that as much as I hate that I am going to say this, I really neglected my family for a long time because I had this path that I had to do these things so that I could be better for them. So now, I think that at this point in my life, as much as I provided for them, I think that I could be more present for them and that’s something that I am really trying to carve out time for.

AM: If we were invited to your house for brunch, what would be something that you would cook for us? I always love knowing what people’s brunch menus are.

CHEF MV: I mean as much as I hate to say it, I would have to have something with caviar on it because I think that, I don’t know, to me brunch is caviar. I think that that’s really weird to say, but when I worked, no one wanted to work brunch at the luxury hotel. If you got scheduled to work brunch, you were getting punished. I think that that was the first time that I tried caviar. Working brunch at The Greenbriar Hotel or at The Ritz Carlton or something like that and I was like, “hmm, I like this stuff.” Then when I was in charge of running things, there was Caviar Eggs Benedict, caviar this and caviar that! I just really liked it. There’s a restaurant that we have here in LA called Petrossian, you have one in NY as well.

AM: We literally lived around the corner from them!

CHEF MV: So, they do this Caviar Flatbread there and I had it once, I’ve had it a lot actually, and I’m going to go home and recreate my own version of this. Every time I have a brunch, I am going to do this. You can do this with smoked salmon like the Wolfgang Smoked Salmon Pizza that Wolfgang Puck makes. But you buy the flour tortillas, and you brush them with a little olive oil and season it with a little salt and bake those in the oven. You pull them out and you have a crispy flatbread.

So now, you can build this breakfast pizza on whatever you want on top of it. So, now you grab crème fraiche, capers, grab some chopped red onion, parsley, a little hard-boiled egg, and whether it’s smoked salmon or caviar, you cut it into pizza. It’s easy, it looks beautiful –

AM: Wow!

CHEF MV: You said wow, I only described it to you and you said wow! I used to get that a lot when I went to Petrossian for brunch and I would always order the Caviar Flatbread. So, a smoked salmon version or whatever, I just think that the idea of using a flour tortilla is something that everyone should have in their repertoire!

IG @mvoltaggio

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 16 - 27 CREATIVE DIRECTION Dominic Ciambrone, PHOTOGRAPHY Bryam Heredia, PHOTO COURTESY of SRGN Studios | PG 28 + 31 Food Network/Guy's Grocery Games | PG 32 - 35 Food Network/Bobby's Triple Threat |

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see TRUE HOSPITALITY | Chef Michael Voltaggio in mag.

BEAUTIFUL CUISINE | CHEF PHILIPPE MASSOUD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: Oh wow!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AM: With those horns!

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

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

— Philippe Massoud

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

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

CHEF PM: Thank you!

AM: Yes, so thank you for that!

CHEF PM: That’s very kind of you!

AM: Yeah!

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

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

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

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

CHEF PM: That’s so sweet!

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

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

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

AM: Absolutely!

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Philippe Massoud

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

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

AM: I’m people!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHEF PM: Oh, you’re going to love it!

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

CHEF PM: They don’t do it justice!

AM: I imagine!

Do you plan on opening in other cities as well?

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

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

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

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

AM: Oh wow!

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

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

AM: That’s amazing.

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

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

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

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

IG @ililirestaurants

@ililidc

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

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

THE DESCENT | LAURA MCGANN

Prior to the release of Netflix's The Deepest Breath, we had the pleasure of watching the screener for this documentary film that not only brings us into the world of freediving, the relationships between freedivers as well as safety divers, but the dedication and the complete use of the athlete's body when they are competing. We are introduced to Alessia Zecchini who is known as the Deepest Women on Earth at 123 meters, 38X Freediving World Record, and 17X World Champ. We also meet her safety, Stephen "Steve" Keenan who was passionate about this sport as well as protecting the freedivers who continue to trailblaze in this sport.

For those that may not be aware, we wanted to give a bit of background on the sport as well as some terminology. Freediving is the practice of holding your breath when diving underwater without the use of breathing equipment, such as a scuba tank. This takes on more meaning when you realize that prior to Alessia winning the 2023 AIDA Oceanquest Philippines in Camotes Island, she broke a world record in the Bifins discipline during the 2023 Secret Blue International Depth Competition in the Philippines by achieving a 109 meter dive in 3 mins and 38 seconds. She broke her own 2-day old record of 107 meters set on a 3 min 26 sec dive in March and surpassed the previous AIDA record by a 10meter margin. Her world and Italian records are definitely astounding and even more so when you realize that this is done by simply holding your breath as depths are being navigated!

In this sport, there are blue holes which are a large marine cavern or inkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock. They can be an oasis in an otherwise barren seafloor. Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks, and more.

If you have yet to see this documentary film, you can stream this now on Netflix, but this interview may have spoilers. We sat down with the film's director, Laura McGann to find out about why she wanted to share this true story, bring this sport to life, show how one trains to do it, and to transport us to phenomenal locales around the world.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to direct The Deepest Breath and how did you find out about this story?

LAURA MCGANN: Look, I love the sea and we moved to live by the sea because we love swimming all year around and it gives me a lot. I’m a better person for the sea for sure!

So I suppose, that I would be attracted to anything about it and I remember seeing it in the Irish Times and I didn’t know what freediving was and I had to Google it. I was met by these incredible images of humans behaving more like dolphins and holding their breath for what felt like forever. It was kind of like learning that there was a group of people who had cracked the code on flying and that they had just learned how to fly! I was like, what? So it started there and then I learned more about Steve and Alessia, that’s when I really felt like, oh God this could be an incredible story, an incredibly cinematic documentary and if I were possibly able to tell it in the moment, and go on their journey with them – Alessia the World Champion freediver and Stephen Keenan an expert safety diver and their lives are just so incredibly dramatic and also just really inspirational. Just seeing that if you just live your life a little bit differently, follow your dreams – what it is that you can end up doing!

AM: When we first heard about the movie, there was a general sense of what freediving was but the first 5 or 10 minutes of actually watching your film, you get the depth of the intensity of what the film as well as what the sport is about! It really puts you in awe about all the things that have to come together to compete in this with holding that breath and really using your body as an instrument.

How did you immerse yourself in being able to really know about what the sport is and to get those moments so that as a viewer, you’re able to translate those anxiety filled moments as you’re watching it?

LM: Well, I suppose I came to this not knowing anything. It was really a long time before I would see a freediver with my own 2 eyes! It would actually be years, about 3 years and so the free divers from all over the world, held my hand and spent many an hour explaining to me over Zoom on what they did, why they did it, how they did it and how it all was. Then eventually, the first place that we went to where I saw Alessia dive was in fact the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt. One of our participants in the film, Kristof Coenen, he describes it as like putting his head in the water for the first time and holding his breath and all the shit from daily life just vanishes. I was at the Blue Hole and I looked in the water and I saw all of the little fish and the coral and I was only up to about my hip, but then I swam about 5 meters out and then all of a sudden, it just drops like a cliff for about 100 meters deep from 1 meter to 100 meters – just like that! It was an incredible blue, the kind of blue that calls you down and so getting to see that for myself, experience it for myself, I think it was really important as the filmmaker that I could kind of grasp something from it and try to bring that onto the screen.

AM: From an organizational standpoint, the way that the film reveals itself is really interesting and it tells a deeper story. You have so many people that talk throughout this film. How did you coordinate it all as it must have been massive?

LM: I suppose that part of it was that we had the pandemic which stopped us from doing a lot, but it also allowed us to do a lot as well in terms of the research and being able to spend so much time talking to them. It allowed us the time to really sit with the story and I would use our Zoom transcripts to piece together, kind of as a script to see what people were saying and to figure out the best way to tell this story in the most compelling way and to try to figure that out. And really, just to do it justice.

AM: What’s the big story that you want people to walk away from in terms of having the freediver and having the safety diver, what is it that we should be getting from that?

LM: I suppose that one of the things is to open people’s eyes up to what humans can actually do as that’s just fascinating! To watch that play out in someone’s life, to see them develop the skill, but it’s also like, 2 people that had this wild streak, this curiosity for the life and this world and just living their life in a way that was different from the way that it was expected or would have liked from their parents. Going on that journey with them is a bit like living vicariously through Steve and Alessia and doing something that maybe a lot of us would not be brave enough to do, but perhaps should be!

AM: We’re taken on a journey of a number of locations in this film. What were all of the locations?

LM: Oh my God, it was incredible! Freedivers know how to choose locations and they were more like that of a Bond film! So we started in the Blue Hole in Dahab and we went to Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas – it’s a 200m sinkhole. It’s just stunning. We went to a number of cenotes (Editor’s Note: Cenotes are a natural pit, or sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bed rock that exposes groundwater. This term originated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for water supplies by the ancient Maya.) in Mexico. I didn’t even know what a cenote was and looking at some of the footage from Daan Verhoeven, he’s a freediving cinematographer – I had seen these incredible images. Our main image is of Alessia swimming up towards the light in a cenote and I remember seeing images like this from Daan and asking him, “Daan, what’s this?” He explained that it was a cenote in Mexico. So it was just such an incredible learning curve for me. Then, filming off of the Caribbean Sea off of Mexico as well with the freedivers along with incredible freediving cinematographer Julie Gautier, she would with the safety and the divers, dive down to 30m, pop back up, show me the shot, I would be holding onto a noodle on the surface and I’d say, “that’s great Julie, could we just do that one more time, slightly different?” She’d say yes and pop back down to 30m and then come back up again. It was like having a fleet of dolphins on our crew. That’s what it was like!

AM: What was your favorite moment of this production?

LM: Oh God, there has been many really! Many moving moments. I would struggle now to name 1. It was in the Blue Hole in Dahab and as I said, it was our first shoot and it was my first opportunity to see what it was all about and it was swimming out over that cliff like I was saying to you. There was that moment when I was looking down at the fish and then it broke down and away into 100m. It was just this blue that went on for forever! It looked more like you were looking into the sky or something and you could see for 30 or 40m. You could see fish and that was just a moment that I will never be able to forget for my entire life! There were core memories made there in that moment.

AM: What was the most difficult part of this production?

LM: For me, I would say, getting it right. It was really important to me, not just as a filmmaker, and as a film that people would be able to get something from and enjoy. But for the people that are in it. It was just really important to me that Peter, Steven’s dad and his family, Alessia and her family were happy and felt like it reflected their memories of what happened and that it was true and it was fair. That was something that was always at the forefront of my mind and it was really important.

I wouldn’t say that it was a difficult thing, I would say that it was extremely important that we would have to look after.

IG @netflix

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Netflix/The Deepest Breath

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see THE DESCENT | Laura McGann in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | THE RITZ CARLTON THE BACARA

As we continue to travel throughout the summer, it's always great to think about our next stay! This month, we're going to Ritz Carlton, The Bacara in Santa Barbara and their Senior Marketing Manager, Julia Solomon gave us the scoop on this Spanish Style resort that opened in 2000 on a 78-acre beachfront. It joined the Ritz Carlton portfolio in 2017 and is known as a destination that has hosted celebrity weddings as well as A-list guests with its spa, pools, and fine dining. The resort features 358 guest rooms and suites, two natural beaches, lush gardens, and a collection of amenities including a 42,000 square-foot spa and wellness center; three salt-water infinity pools; six culinary venues including the signature Angel Oak, housing the resort’s 12,000-bottle wine collection.

When visiting, you get Mediterranean vibes as it is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains minutes from historic Santa Barbara. When it comes to enjoying a great meal on property, there are a number of options including Angel Oak, San Setto, The Bistro, 'O' Bar & Kitchen, Bacare Wine Tasting Room, Caffe Haskell's Pool Bar, and Haskell's Food Truck!

On Nov 11, 2023 at 5pm, their will host the Oceans Future Gala to celebrate Jean-Michel Cousteau's 78 Years of Diving & Discovery Gala and weekend festivities. Jean Michel Cousteau will mingle with guests to share the magic of whales, the quintessential ambassadors of the sea, and raise awareness of the threats that they face.

The benefits of the events will support the mission of Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society, a marine conservation organization based in Santa Barbara. A longtime partner of The Ritz-Carlton brand, Jean-Michel Cousteau is an explorer, diplomat, environmentalist, educator, author and film producer.

During that weekend, there will be a Welcome Reception with Jean-Michel Cousteau and Celebration of Whales Art Exhibit, A Morning with Jean-Michel Cousteau Eco Hike & Breakfast, the gala will premiere and present a unique original multimedia presentation with never before seen footage, and there is also a Whale Watching excursion with Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Ocean Futures Society Team.

For locals that are dining at this property, there is a 10% discount off all food and beverage when they're at the Resort. Also, The Ritz-Carlton Bacara Spa offers Spa Day passes to the local community, where locals can indulge in the spa amenities such as the steam room, sauna, and tranquility lounge.

THE RITZ CARLTON BACARA

500 E Montecito Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93103

ritzcarlton.com

IG @ritzcarltonbacarasb

PHOTO CREDITS | The Ritz Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | The Ritz Carlton: The Bacara in mag.

THE PROCESS | CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL

We're always looking for an extraordinary restaurant especially when we're able to combine an amazing menu, with a team, and also an experience, ambiance and a story that makes you want to come back and to continue to support it whether it's in your neighborhood or an area of town that you enjoy visiting!

We caught up with Chef Charlie Mitchell who is the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn and just won the Michelin 2022 NYC Young Chef Award Winner as well as is a James Beard Finalist 2023! These awards are amazing to be recognized for a life of dedication and focus. We wanted to find out about how he fell in love with food, decided to work in this field, his culinary journey, and how he continues to share his vision through Clover Hill. We also have the opportunity to chat about he approaches his culinary style as we get his chef insights which allows us to think about how the foods that we eat and the intentions behind the menus we enjoy.

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

CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL: Um, I would say a long time ago when I was a kid to be honest. I tell this story all the time, but I just grew up around food and I grew up with a family that just cooked for any and every reason whether it was good or bad, you know what I mean? It wasn’t hard to fall in love with food when you saw it and were around it so much and to see how important it was to everybody.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to work in this industry and to be a chef?

CHEF CM: A chef, I would say somewhere in high school, you know. I just cooked. I think that I wasn’t the most career oriented kid to be honest in high school right? I think that I wasn’t even thinking about it until maybe I got to that Junior year in high school and you’re kind of like, “let me figure out what I want to do.” And I think that because I was getting older at that point – I wouldn’t say that I was cooking anything serious or anything, but I knew that it was something that I loved to do when I was not in class at school. So I thought that I could do this for a living. You know, I was watching a lot of Food Network.

AM: Oh yeah!

CHEF CM: Yeah, Food Network and stuff like that. I mean it sounds corny now but Iron Chef was that one show that I would just say, “wow, this looks like some serious cheffing,” you know what I mean? When I would watch that show, I would say, “yeah, I want to do something like that.” But I had no idea how to be a chef at that time.

AM: What was your culinary journey in kitchens that you trained in on the way to coming to Clover Hill?

CHEF CM: I mean, it wasn’t a very typical journey at times, there were times where it was a little rocky. My first 3 years of cooking, I would say my foundation was in Detroit. My first cheffing at my first restaurant that I worked in I would say is where I got the most training. It was a lot of hours, a lot of cooking, a lot of on the job training, a lot of raw cooking techniques and then I moved to NYC to try to work in more fine dining kitchens in a bigger market and that’s why I came here. And that’s what I got. I was working at places like Betony and Eleven Madison Park and even in DC for places like Bresca and Jônt, those were like the most refined jobs that I had and that kind of shaped the way that I knew how I wanted to go about my approach to food. I mean, it has been about 10 years this year now.

AM: How do you define your style of cooking?

CHEF CM: I’m not really sure, I’m still figuring that out. I always say that I think that it takes chefs 20 years to really define their cooking style for great chefs. I look at myself and I consider me to be halfway. So right now, my focus on my style of cooking is to focus on the ingredients that we are using. Sourcing great products, great ingredients, caring about whether what we’re using is sustainable or not, who is growing our vegetables, and then from there, I like to focus on some techniques that some people may consider to be old school or very raw techniques. I like to make sure that the food feels like you are being cooked for, you know what I’m saying? We still cook our proteins from raw and we make sure that all our sauces are actually, hot, we care about those things like a person would care more for if they were at home, than if they were in a restaurant. If I had to sum it up, I would say that my cooking style is right now, a little raw and there is a lot of intuitive cooking. I cook the way that I want to eat!

AM: Which is a good place to start!

CHEF CM: Yeah, exactly!

AM: Well, you’re the Executive Chef/Partner of Clover Hill in Brooklyn. How did this come about?

CHEF CM: Well actually, so, Clover Hill, I was intro’d to Clover Hill when they first opened in 2019 because the original chef was a friend of mine. So I was actually introduced to the restaurant because I was in a transition and he was opening his restaurant and they needed some hands, some kitchen help. So I was around part-time/full-time working there 4 days a week for him and the COVID happened. So that was my introduction to Clover Hill and then time goes by and when the ownership was looking to reopen it, ironically, I had just moved back to NYC and they - Clay Castillo just randomly texted me and asked me what I was up to. I was standing there with my now fiancé and I was like, “yo, the owners of Clover Hill just texted me out of nowhere.” She was like, “okay, see what’s up.” So, maybe it was a day later or a week later, but we had coffee and we saw that our visions just aligned. With me being somebody that was in transition and him obviously going through it with having to close his restaurant due to COVID, he was very inspired to not give up. That was his message and I was in the same place and kind of young and kind of hungry and we just decided that we would go for it. Honestly, it was a very organic situation where he was in this position, I was in this position, and we had to figure it out together and that’s what we decided to do.

AM: Tell us about Clover Hill, what can people expect in terms of the ambiance of the restaurant as well as the menu itself?

CHEF CM: I think that the goal of the ambiance is that Clay will say this, to feel like home. It's a very homey approach which I know that that sounds cliché sometimes, but we look at it that way from the environment to the hospitality. It’s not just the décor, it’s about how you’re treated when you’re there as well. It’s to try to strip away some of the pretentious stereotypes of fine dining. We want people to feel comfortable which is what we mean by that, to feel accepted, and to be at a place where you can vibe, you can laugh, you can talk as opposed to some fine dining restaurants where you’re so intimidated that when you walk in, you see that it’s so bright and the tablecloths are everywhere -

AM: Which fork am I using first?

CHEF CM: Right! And you’re worried about your outfit and stuff like that. So we want to strip all of that away and make it about the food, the wine, and the service. The food has evolved as our price point has evolved. But it has always been very seafood focused as well as vegetables – so seafood first, vegetables second. You’ll see a little bit of meat here and there, so that is the primary focus of the cuisine. As far as what it always is, we change the menu 4 times a year. We do complete menu overhauls, but I use the food as well as Clover Hill as a means to further my growth, the restaurants growth and the other cooks as well. The food changes menu to menu, but it’s always very rooted in seafood, vegetables, and flavors that you know people either love or hate – it’s very seasoned food. The idea of it also being at home too is that, this is something that we pride ourselves on. Food is something that makes you feel like someone cooked it for you. It needs to have a sense of nostalgia to it, and it needs to have a sense of warmth to the food in every dish. So if it’s not delicious and it doesn’t remind you of something, if it doesn’t kind of bring you back to a place – then it kind of doesn’t work. So that’s in the DNA of the food.

AM: Congratulations on being the 2022 Michelin Guide Young Chef Award Winner and the first Black Michelin chef in NY which blows our minds even moreso that you are only the second Black chef in the US to do this! Honestly, we kept double checking ourselves in prep for this interview with you because we were shocked that it has been so few, but there we are! What does it feel like to win this award and in terms of representation, being able to have this distinction for yourself as well as for the restaurant that you are at?

CHEF CM: Well winning the award, to be honest, the Young Chef Award I had only heard about a day or 2 before the awards. I had never heard about it before. And then when I won, it was a complete surprise! I was just humbled and honored, mainly because so many of my peers and chefs that I look up to were also standing in this room and seeing me at that moment, so I just felt like that was just fucking cool to be honest! I mean to have all of those chefs looking at me when I was on that stage, that was just cool! For the Michelin Star too, me and Clay, I mean the whole team, but for us and the ownership, it was just like, what they went through with COVID and then closing down and then where I was at at that time and then kind of being in a position where I wasn’t sure what my next move was going to be. Just to see us put the work in for that year and a half, that validation and that visibility pushes everything. It means that what we’re doing is working and that the right people were seeing us, so that was awesome!

For me as a Black chef, that was also like a cherry on top, you know what I mean? It’s not like you’re looking to be the first or second of anything, it just kind of happens. But for me, it was kind of learning how to embrace it. Chefs and Black chefs that are older than me are looking at me like, “man, we did it!” Chefs that are younger than me are like, “how can I do it?” I’m just trying to learn how to embrace it and to be a resource which I think is the most important. Maybe it’s not full blown conversations or full blown FaceTime sessions with chefs, but it’s just about being available and a resource for questions or encouragement or just being somebody that they can see doing it so that they can do it! I mean winning it is great, the representation is great, and I’m honored to be someone to represent us in any kind of capacity that is in a positive way!

AM: Exactly!

To follow that up, to be a James Beard Finalist, that’s another one of those things that is so much of an honor. What does it mean to you to have this distinction also in terms of the recognition?

CHEF CM: I mean, it was great! I think that any chef that takes themselves seriously on any level whether it’s casual, fine dining, food trucks, or whatever – you take it serious. You put in a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of hours goes into it, and I think that some people may look at the last year and a half/two years of my journey and say, “ oh, it’s been so great – how does it feel?” For me, it felt like, finally! I’ve been doing this for all this time –

AM: So long!

CHEF CM: Yeah and it’s just the beginning. Some people don’t realize how many hours and how much time you put into something. So it’s just nice to be validated in any capacity – here’s this kid that’s at this restaurant that’s doing something that’s cool and good, had a good product, and they’re happy that I’m doing it. It’s encouraging – it encourages me to keep going. It encourages me to keep working as hard as we do. So that’s what it means the most to me.

AM: What I really love on your Instagram is that you talk about a lot of things. You talk about menu development and a number of nuts and bolts topics in the kitchen. For our readers that don’t know, what is menu development, what does it involve, and why is it so important?

CHEF CM: Well it’s hard! The reason why I share it is because – it’s been a new thing that I have been wanting to share because I think that some people have a misconception about how easy it is. I think that for me and having a small team, it’s just me. So it’s not like, oh does this taste good? It’s like, is it part of the vision, is it a part of who we are, is it on brand, and does it fit within our ethos? If we go here, where do we go from here? To constantly challenge yourself and your own ideas, it’s hard, you know what I mean?

AM: We love that you share it though, because, when people are thinking of a chef, they think of the restaurant and that there are partners and staff, but they don’t think about the hours, 14 hour days and these little things that you’re putting together to make a full picture. I think it’s awesome that you show it!

CHEF CM: Yeah!

I think that menu development is even something that I am just learning. I look at chefs that have been doing this for years! I reach out to them for advice and to see how they go about it. I think that the most important part about it is to just be curious about what you do, to be curious about food, and to continue to learn about food. I think that the hardest part of it is to continue to challenge yourself. Whether it’s your own ideas or old techniques that you have done before, and to not be too attached to a notion like, “we’re going to always cook the fish this way.” There may be a better way and you’re just going to need to be open minded to the journey of exploring, you know?

AM: Well, it’s interesting that you had a post recently that it is important to you that all of your dishes fall into your core values of good eats. What do you mean by that and what are those core values?

CHEF CM: When I worked at Eleven Madison Park, like Daniel Humm was kind of known for having 4 or 5 things that a dish had to have to fit in these boxes, which they don’t have to have – but that’s what he liked to say. For me, I am developing my own things for myself. So what I mean by that is – is it possible for a dish to go out as intended which is important. Is it meant to be cold – can it go out cold, is it meant to always go out hot? Some dishes, which sounds simple, but there are other factors with those dishes that we have to figure out in fine dining where you would know that it is not executable at this level. So being intentional is very important. Obviously, being very delicious is the most important. Is it visually appealing, but not to sacrifice if it is delicious or intentional, right? From there it’s, how does it make somebody feel inside when they eat it? Is it too spicy or spicy enough? Is it warm? Is it nostalgia? Is it a little thought provoking? Does it draw their memory? Those are the kinds of things that I focus on the most right now.

AM: What is an average day like for you at Clover Hill?

CHEF CM: Well it has changed so much now, I think that life now versus the first 8 months are so different that I feel like I should tell the story of how it was in the beginning beginning! But right now, it’s different. The learning curve right now is for me to learn to be an Executive Chef. That’s also what I want people to realize is that I teach my cooks that each level is a different learning curve. You’re a line cook, you’re a CDP, you’re a sous chef, you’re an Executive Sous Chef, you’re a CDC Executive Chef right, so now I’m like learning how to fall back a little bit and care about other things that I don’t know about. So right now, my day to day is still 12-14 hours but less cooking, more guiding, more teaching, more meetings with the managers and the ownership. We’re looking at how are we pushing this restaurant forward as far as cleanliness, design, organization, new plateware, new development, menu costing – for lack of a better word – visionary things.

AM: Yeah dealing with nuts and bolts of the business.

CHEF CM: As opposed to last year, I had less staff, I didn’t have a sous chef at the time. I was just cooking and keeping my head down and now I’m in the mode of focusing and actually running this restaurant as opposed to just working in the restaurant. Usually, the cooks' days start around 10 or 11am and they work until around midnight. My day starts around the same time and I work until around midnight/1am and then I do it all over again. The cooks right now, everyone on the staff, they work 4 days a week. I work a 5 day shift, they work a 4 day shift. I think that that’s a way that we try to give them a better live/work balance. Like you may work 4 long days, but you have 3 days off.

AM: Which is nice.

CHEF CM: Yeah it’s nice because it keeps you in that 40-50/hour range instead of that 60-70 hour range. So that’s what we’re trying to do right now. I know how mentally taxing that this job can be and I just want them to be able to be there when they are at work and to do the things that I need them to do. Then, they have enough time that they will be able to do what they need to do when they’re not here.

AM: After a night at work, what’s a meal that you like to cook for yourself when you’re at home?

CHEF CM: Nothing haha, I order takeout. To be honest, I’m a better eater at home now because I have Michelle to help me out without. I’m very simple. I like to eat very light at the end of the night for the most part. Just because, you’re about to go to sleep. So something like a protein, rice, and vegetables are my favorite things to eat.

AM: What are your go-to ingredients or spices that you always have in your pantry at home that are so versatile for you to make a number of dishes when you do decide to cook at home.

CHEF CM: Butter, garlic, and lemon. That can make anything taste good and then a cabinet full of spices. Anything from salt and pepper to curry spices, paprika, cayenne pepper, and all of that kind of stuff. But if you have butter, garlic, and lemon you can make anything taste good.

AM: When you’re not in the kitchen and you have time off, how do you take time for yourself in terms of self-care?

CHEF CM: Traditionally, I try to be as active as I can. I try to run, I try to workout. It also depends because sometimes the work week can get crazy and then I try to relax, spend time with mainly just me and Michelle hanging out all of the time to be honest. We just have to figure out days where we can sit on the couch for 8 hours. But in a perfect world, if I can just work out, recharge and watch some TV or something that’s great. As opposed to before where it was all about food 24/7. On the weekends, it was all about cookbooks and then I would go back to work. But now, I try to pull back from it all sometimes to just relax.

AM: That shows maturity where you give that balance to yourself just like you do to your chefs that you give 3 days off!

Do you have any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for. I know that last year, you were part of Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Reunion which must have been an amazing time. Will you be doing any other events like that this year?

CHEF CM: Um, I don’t know. Hopefully. I think that the Family Reunion one we missed out on this year because we just didn't have time for it on the schedule this year. I know that we’re doing some charity events in October, we’re doing this Michelin event in Sept called Euphoria which will be pretty cool. Besides that we’re keeping it pretty low key. We’re just trying to figure it out and summer gets pretty light in the city and especially in our area of Brooklyn. So we try to figure out ways to stay busy and to put some things together.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be? You have done so many different things, you have gotten so many different accolades, and yet you have such a bigger road of the things that you can achieve. What do you want that to be seen as?

CHEF CM: I think that cooking is one of those things that is a passion driven career. We get into this because we love cooking and we have a passion about it. I love it and unfortunately, I love restaurants. That’s what I chose, I didn’t go out for private, catering, or anything like that. So for me, it’s about that I want to be known as the best chef foodwise and one of the best chefs to work for and/or with. I want to make sure that I’m a good leader and a good boss and a good employer for my people. Hopefully I’m one of those well known serious chefs that is one of the best known chefs in NYC and one of the best known chefs in the country!

IG @chuckgood

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 86 Clay Williams | PG 88 - 94 Natalie Black |

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see THE PROCESS | CHEF CHARLIE MITCHELL in mag.

ON THE LINKS | JASON TARTICK

The summer really allows us to enjoy a number of sports and for many, there's nothing like a round of golf with friends. But with all the time that you spend on the course, it would be nice to have a mobile office that allows you to enjoy the game while also checking in when you need to!

We caught up with Jason Tartick who was a contestant on Season 14 of The Bachelorette (Becca Kufrin's season) and although he was eliminated in week 9, he would go on to date and get engaged to Kaitlyn Bristowe who was The Bachelorette for season 11! We wanted to know about his partnership with Wyndham Rewards, their Cubicle Caddie, his love for golf, what his experience in Bachelor Nation has been, meeting Charity Lawson, the current The Bachelorette (season 20 premiered Jun 26th on ABC), and his upcoming projects!

ATHLEISURE MAG: You've partnered with Wyndham Rewards to share The Cubicle Caddie. Can you tell us more about it and why you enjoy having access to it?

JASON TARTICK: Well, I’ve been a Wyndham Rewards member for the past few years and love how generous the program is, so when we agreed on this partnership, I knew it was the perfect fit. I’m usually balancing work while I’m on the go – and as an avid golfer, I love the concept of the Cubicle Caddie – it’s the best of both worlds. It’s essentially a tricked-out golf cart that helps golfers work from the green and includes essentials like a green screen complete with convincing office backdrops and all the things to actually help me do the job (like Wi-Fi and noise-canceling headphones).

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you enjoyed golf?

JT: Golf has always been a big part of my upbringing. I played with my grandfather, who has unfortunately passed, but the memories will always live within me, and playing with my father with is such a treat - We compete like no other. From my grand father, my father, all my friends and even and even with Kaitlyn - we go golfing all the time. But let me tell you, that girl is one hell of a putter! The Cubicle Caddie is such a nice addition with Wyndham Rewards because it allows me to get out on the golf course more often, to be able to take a call or two, and utilize the high-speed Wi-Fi Internet (which honestly is better than my actual office Wi-Fi). I love the game – to able to play with family and friends, it’s such a treat.

AM: What is it about this sport that keeps you coming back to it?

JT: It’s the comradery, the exercise, the social aspect – To be out and about, to compete. It’s the triple threat. There’s no game like it.

AM: Does Kaitlyn go out on the course with you and what are you guys up to this summer?

JT: Kaitlyn and I live right by a golf course, actually almost on the golf course. Sometimes, we will do date nights where we grab some wine and we go up to the golf course and do a little putt-putt competition. We’ll put bets on the line, bets like who’s going to pick up the dog poop for a week, who is doing the dishes or buying the next round of coffees. It’s a fun game for us and we get out often which is great.

The big thing that we are planning this summer is that pre-Covid, we had gone to Kelowna and spent time a ton of time in August, so I think that’s what we are going to do this August. We are going to head up to Canada to spend time with her family, and we are so looking forward to it.

AM: We always enjoy when the next season of The Bachelor/Bachelorette is coming back and as we wait to watch Charity's season premiering on the 26th, what was being on The Bachelorette like for you and what was the biggest takeaway that you had?

JT: At the CMA’s, I just had a chance to meet Charity. She is so sweet and kind, and I think this season is going to be absolutely remarkable. For me, I really enjoyed The Bachelor. It was such an amazing roller coaster of an experience. I got to meet so many people throughout the process and it was a once in a lifetime experience. From being on the show, almost every area of my life has changed. I’m forever grateful for the franchise and for the show.

I think the biggest takeaway that I have is that you just have to submit to the process and let yourself go. I found that the more people tried to control it, the quicker they would break because of the pressure. I think it’s so important that you allow yourself to let go, control what you can and not to worry about what you can’t.

AM: Tell me about your podcast Trading Secrets!

JT: Trading Secrets is a great podcast where we have on all different celebrities from all different industries come on and talk about where they made money, how they got money, where they lost money, and when and how they got to where they are.

Unfortunately, in our system today, we aren’t taught the things that we need to know about career navigation and managing finances, and that is the purpose of this podcast. It has been a top business charting podcast with over 100 episodes and over 5 million downloads. It has been so much fun so far and we have some really great guests coming up this summer. Some guests like Wells Adams, Macklemore, the creator of Entourage, and many more. It’s going to be a very exciting summer for Trading Secrets.

AM: You have a lot going on including a book - what can you tell us about this?

JT: Book number two is well on its way! Manuscript is in and the title is going to be: Talk Money to Me; 8 Questions Where the Answers are Numbers Because Stories Shift, Context Changes, but Numbers Don’t Lie.

In each chapter, you will be asked a question, and that question will be a number. We will then teach you how to get that number, what that number means, how to improve it, what that number means to your finances, how to have the conversation with your partner and asking them what their number is for that specific Chapter. The second reason why people are becoming divorced is because of financial infidelity. That being said, we need to get ahead of it and start having those conversations.

IG @jason_tartick

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Wyndham Rewards

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE LINKS | JASON TARTICK in meg.

ATHLEISURE LIST | HAKKASAN LAS VEGAS

When we're out in Las Vegas, we know that when it comes to have an epic, over the top night out, you have to head over to the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and do it up at Tao Group Hospitality's Hakkasan Nightclub! This premier venue is a world-class destination for top DJs and artists for an experience that you won't want to miss!

When the Denver Nuggets won their hard fought NBA Championship, we found them here for their victory celebration! NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter, Bruce Brown, Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rest of the team started their night with dinner at Hakkasan enjoying signature dishes before they continued their night at the nightclub which was packed with a massive crowd who also joined in on the celebration!

The team kept the party going by sitting at their VIP tables that was on the stage. DJ Pauly D and Justin Credible were in the booth and their win was toasted with a 3-liter bottle of Perrier Jouet Brut Champagne.

Obviously, this was a great place to enjoy their massive win, but even when you're not rubbing elbows with your favorite athletes who are world champions, you can enjoy the nights that Hakkasan has to offer by organizing your night with dinner at their restaurant and then coming in to enjoy your favorite DJ who happens to be there for their set from a number of genres that you have on your playlist.

For those navigating how to get to the nightclub you walk from the front of the hotel through the casino and take a left toward Whiskey Down. Walk past it, The David Copperfield Theatre and TAP and Hakkasan will be on your left.

If you're on The Strip, Hakkasan is located near the entrance of the Las Vegas Strip. Once you walk into MGM Grand, take a right and you'll be at Hakkasan for an epic night ahead!

HAKKASAN LAS VEGAS

NIGHTCLUB

3799 S Las Vegas Blvd

Las Vegas, NV 89109

taogroup.com

IG @hakkasannightclub

PHOTO CREDITS | Sam Marshall for Tao Group Hospitality

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Hakkasan Las Vegas in mag.

WEEKEND VIBES ONLY EDITORIAL

This month, our editorial takes us to a hotel group that has been our favorites as we have stayed at their properties in Seattle, DC, and Philadelphia. In addition, we have gone to their hotels here to attend a number of functions there from launches, editor events, and more. Kimpton Hotels are always a great place to go to as the vibe always feels so comfortable and has a boutique essence to it. When you stay as a guest, you can enjoy their complimentary wine hours that take place in their lobby, they have yoga mats in their rooms, and they always have great restaurants on their properties as well.

Kimpton Hotel Eventi has always been a lot of fun whether we're attending a preview or meeting up with friends to grab a quick bite which turns into an epic night out! Because we've frequented it so much, for this month's editorial, we thought it would be perfect to take our readers inside one of their suites known as Veranda which has a large L shaped balcony, a living/sitting room, large bedroom, and 2 bathrooms. Whether you're having a weekend in with friends, enjoying it with your significant other, planning a wedding event, or anything of that nature - this is a great suite to make memories!

Our shoot looks at our models enjoying a weekend in by taking in the city and taking a moment for themselves. They're rocking a new line that we excited to share that is created by us known as ATHLEISUREVERSE! With pieces that are soft, various colors, and styles - there is something for everyone! In addition, this shoot includes a number of our favorite accessories that you should pair with your favorite looks as well as some treats that we've been fans of from our issues! Following the credits, you'll also find out more about Kimpton Hotel Eventi and why this should be a place that you stay at when you're visiting NY for vacation, business or as a staycation! Not only do they share more information about the property, but they also gave us insight on how you can get the most out of the neighborhood when you're staying here as well!

WEEKEND VIBES ONLY | CREDITS

LOOK I PG 38 | Emma Young - ATHLEISUREVERSE Zipped White Hoodie, Flowy Black Jersey Muscle T with Rolled Sleeve, White/Black Tipped Shorts | Tim Park - ATHLEISUREVERSE Classic Fleece Hooded Black Sweat Set Jogger | WHOOP 4.0 Health and Fitness Tracker | APPLE Watch |

LOOK II PG 40-49 (additional images in this photoset included here that are not in the JUN ISSUE #90) | Emma Young - ATHLEISUREVERSE Cropped Fleece Hoodie Off-White Sweat Set Short | BEIS The Sport Pack | CARRERA Superchampion | CARMEN SOL Red Aviator Sunglasses | Tim Park - ATHLEISUREVERSE Jersey White Muscle T, Fleece Off-White Jogger | CARRERA 302/S | APPLE Watch | DRINK SIMPLE Raspberry Lemon Sparkling Maple Water | JAMBAR Organic Energy Bars | SOUNDCORE Motion+ | BALA Bala Bangles |

LOOK III PG 53-57 (additional image in this photoset included here that are not in the JUN ISSUE #90) | Emma Young - ATHLEISUREVERSE Jersey Hooded Olive Track Short Set | CARRERA 3006/S | SPRAYGROUND Lasers Blazin' Backpack Sling | Tim Park - ATHLEISUREVERSE Olive Bomber, Fleece Cream Short | CARRERA Superchampion | WHOOP 4.0 Health and Fitness Tracker | APPLE Watch | NIKE Air Jordan 1 Retro |

LOOK IV PG 58-63 (additional images in this photoset included here that are not in the JUN ISSUE #90) | Emma Young - ATHLEISUREVERSE - Classic Fleece Hooded Hot Pink Sweat Set Jogger | CARMEN SOL Racquel Jelly Bucket Hat in Fuschia, Lisa Small Crossbody Bag in Fuschia + Tonino Wedge | CARRERA Flaglab 14 | Tim Park - ATHLEISUREVERSE Classic Fleece Hooded Neon Lime Sweat Set Jogger | CARMEN SOL Racquel Jelly Bucket Hat in White | CARRERA Flaglab 14 | NIKE Air Jordan 1 Retro |

LOOK V PG 64 | Emma Young - ATHLEISUREVERSE Cropped Fleece Hooded Peach Sweat Set Jogger | Tim Park - ATHLEISUREVERSE Classic Fleece Hooded Peach Sweat Set Jogger | DRINK SIMPLE Raspberry Lemon Sparkling Maple Water |

PHOTOGRAPHY | Paul Farkas

STYLIST | Kimmie Smith

MODELS | Tim Park/Prestigious Models + Emma Young

Now that you have seen a number of the features of Kimpton Hotel Eventi's Veranda Suite which is quite spacious! We wanted to know more about the property as well as the neighborhood so that you can plan accordingly for your next visit!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did Kimpton Hotel Eventi open?

KIMPTON EVENTI HOTEL: Kimpton Hotel Eventi debuted in 2010.

AM: Before we talk about Eventi specifically, we have had the pleasure to stay at several Kimpton hotels as well as to attend events that are held there, including this property. For those that aren't familiar with Kimpton Hotels, can you tell us about what a guest can expect when they are staying at these properties in general?

KHE: The Kimpton brand is known for its unique, design-driven properties with warm, genuine service. Our hotels have exciting restaurants and aim to create moments of connection with guests.

AM: Tell us about the art at Eventi?

KHE: Kimpton Hotel Eventi features a variety of works sourced and installed under the creative direction of Reunion Goods & Services by Art Consultant Kyle DeWoody, Associate Art Consultant Laura DVorkin, and design team We Came in Peace. Extending from the hotel's original design rich in texture and depth with a variety of fine art pieces from renowned artist Barbara Nessim, the new collection introduces a mix of both established, younger artists and emerging artists with visibly promising talents.

Moving beyond the traditional decorative intention, this collection attempts far more conceptual approach by showcasing edgy and thought-provoking works including Kwangho Lee's hanging light installation made entirely out of electrical wire, and a Tony Matelli mirror - which is made to look dusty through a technique using layers of urethane. The dynamic collection also features stunning works by artists including Lorna Simpson, Alex Katz, and Ernesto Leal that flow throughout the lobby and fill spaces within The Vine and L'Amico.

AM: Our editorial shoot took place at the Eventi which is in Chelsea. What can you tell us about the property in general and how it connects to the neighborhood?

KHE: Kimpton Hotel Eventi’s location in the heart of Chelsea – on 6th Avenue between 29th St. and 30th St. – places guests conveniently in the midst from some of the city’s most prominent art galleries, boutiques, nightclubs and restaurants. Being located near Chelsea Market and the High Line allows easy access to popular attractions, and travelers are also within a few blocks of the nearby NoMad and Flatiron neighborhoods and landmarks including Times Square and the Empire State Building.

AM: Tell us about the 3 restaurants, L’Amico, The Vine, and Skirt Steak that are at Eventi which can be enjoyed by those on vacation, staycations or just hanging out in the neighborhood.

KHE: The three on-site restaurants, all helmed by Chef Laurent Tourondel, offer visitors a variety of dining experiences. L’Amico serves Italian-influenced American cuisine inspired by the simplicity of a countryside stroll and a wood-fired meal; The Vine’s welcoming environment complements locally sourced, vegetable-centric French dishes; and Skirt Steak harkens back to old-school steakhouses, serving only grilled skirt steak (or a cauliflower steak), salad and fries, followed by a rolling dessert cart.

AM: We like that regardless of the Kimpton properties that you’re staying at, hotel guests can enjoy complimentary morning coffee and tea to start your day as well as the hosted evening wine hour that’s in the Lobby Living Room. Can you tell us about this and why these have been an amenity for guests?

KHE: We aim to provide opportunities for connection, and this often happens over food and drinks. Beyond giving guests a morning or evening beverage, we’re creating space where visitors can relax, get to know one another and build a sense of community. Our wine hour, a core part of our programming, was started by Bill Kimpton and is practiced at every Kimpton property worldwide.

AM: We enjoyed having our shoot in one of your suites. For guests that are staying at the hotel, what guestrooms and suites are available?

KHE: Our guestrooms range from standard King and Queen/Queen rooms to our specialty suites featuring balconies, Jacuzzi tubs or pool tables. Each room in the hotel offers a spacious respite amid the city, floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the cityscapes, and design emphasizing brightness and clean lines.

AM: What amenities are offered in these rooms?

KHE: All guests receive complimentary morning coffee and tea and a hosted evening wine hour. In addition, there is a yoga mat in every room, mini-bar service, valet laundry service, and access to public bikes to explore the city.

AM: For those looking to maintain their fitness routines, how can they do so at Eventi?

KHE: In addition to our onsite 1,000 square foot 24-hour fitness center that includes Peloton bikes and other workout equipment, we also offer custom designed PUBLIC bikes and yoga mats in every room, free of charge.

AM: For those traveling with their four-legged friends, tell us how this hotel is pet-friendly as well as Wag! Premium.

KHE: Kimpton Hotel Eventi welcomes dogs and provides them with in-room water bowls, pet beds and courtesy bags for walks. We don’t charge a deposit or cleaning fee for bringing in dogs, and have no size or weight restrictions, nor a limit on the number of pets allowed. Our concierge keeps a list of pet-friendly restaurants, parks and groomers as well.

Guests receive complimentary access to Wag! Premium, meaning they receive 10% off of services, no booking fees, and round-the-clock access to licensed veterinary professionals. If a walk is arranged, travelers can leave a key at the front desk to be handed over to the dog walker upon their arrival.

AM: In addition to complimentary Wi-Fi, you keep guests connected with access to Press Reader (which Athleisure Mag is on this platform), are there other digital amenities that you offer?

KHE: Press Reader provides access to a vast library of local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, allowing guests to keep up with the news during their stay. Each guestroom also includes a Crave tablet that guests can use to set wake up calls, request housekeeping items, get information about local attractions, use as a TV control and channel guide and more. All TVs include Chromecast, allowing guests to stream from their personal devices.

AM: Tell us about the Kimpton Library.

KHE: The Kimpton Library allows guests to borrow from a curated collection of books on property, so they can pack light and still enjoy some of the most popular literary titles.

AM: For those that may be getting in a bit of work whether they’re there for business or simply need to do a few things, what is available at your business center?

KHE: We do not have a formal business center, but our team is happy to assist with small printing requests. Our concierge can also guide guests to nearby storefronts and libraries with extensive offerings.

AM: Tell us about the Public Bikes that are available.

KHE: Our PUBLIC bikes are custom-made. Guests are invited to take them on a spin at leisure and can use our Manhattan Waterfront Greenway map as a guide.

AM: NYC is always great to visit regardless of the time of year; however, the summer is always a lot of fun. What packages are you offering for those that are looking to book?

KHE: This month we are bringing the fictional world to life with a new Dream Blades offering. Taking inspiration from retro neon sportswear and summers in Malibu, we are launching a limited-time complimentary roller blade lending program for hotel guests looking for a fun outdoor activity. Hotel guests will be gifted neon retro skating accessories, including candy-colored sun visors, sweatbands and fanny packs, as well as the option to rent rollerblades.

We also have our Celebrate Summer offer, allowing travelers to make the most of their time to the city by enjoying a picnic in the park or taking surf lessons at one of the city’s beaches.

AM: For residents who are looking to enjoy a staycation, why should they book at Eventi?

KHE: So often, New Yorkers forget to be tourists in their own city. Kimpton Hotel Eventi is located in a central spot allowing guests to take in some of the city’s most popular attractions, whether they’re visiting for the first time or the twentieth. Our rooms also offer a peaceful escape above the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, making it a great spot to stay in the city while getting spot to stay in the city while getting out of a mundane routine.

AM: The hotel’s location is in the heart of several neighborhoods that are a must visit!

Although the hotel is great for those that may really want to stay in, there are a number of things to do outside of it!

For the solo traveler: where should they grab a bite for people watching, where should they shop, and what's an attraction/gallery/park they they should visit?

KHE: L’Amico on-property is the perfect place for a solo traveler to sit at the bar and people watch the world around them. We are centrally located, close to the shops in Chelsea, Flatiron District, and Herald Square areas. We are minutes away from Broadway and the theater district - perfect for a solo traveler to take in a show.

AM: Our shoot focuses on our models enjoying a getaway so for those booking their girl’s trips whether a staycation or traveling to the city: where should they go out for brunch, where should they go for a spa session, and where should they go for a bit of nightlife?

KHE: La Pecora Bianca and Oscar Wilde offer great brunches nearby. We are located near Juvenex Spa, a day spa on West 32nd known for their Korean-style Salt Glow Scrub. The Vine has a great wine and cocktail list for guests.

AM: For the business traveler who will be with a group of their colleagues: where should they go for a drink to decompress after a day of sessions, what’s a great spot for sightseeing and to take in the city, and what’s a great place for a group exercise?

KHE: The Vine’s cocktails are expertly curated and perfect to decompress after a long day. We’re in the heart of Manhattan, blocks from the Empire State Building, Chelsea Market, The High Line, Times Square and more. All are great for sightseers. We are located minutes away from a variety of boutique fitness studios from yoga to boxing, and more.

AM: For those that are booking Sales Meetings, conferences, editor events, etc. Why is Eventi a great place to host this?

KHE: Our meeting spaces are spacious and clean, and meeting attendees get all of the perks of our central location: great for those living in the city or anyone visiting for the day or overnight. These spaces are also filled with natural light, fitted with large screens, and our catering offerings are restaurant quality courtesy of Laurent Tourondel. Our caring staff, many of whom have been with the hotel for years, take wonderful care of our meetings guests.

AM: Are there events that Eventi participates in such as Pride, Summer Solstice, or NYC specific initiatives to support the community/neighborhood?

KHE: We just hosted a special Pride wine hour in collaboration with Absolut, benefiting the Trevor Project. The hotel often leans into major events to tie the guest experience into major happenings in the city.

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