THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.3 | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

We’re back for another week of The Golden Bachelor and emotions are high as we see that Gerry Turner is visibly upset and the women back at the house are all talking about their feelings as they get into week 3! They also want to make sure that they get a 1-on-1 date as Theresa has been the only one that has had one. Jesse Palmer lets them know that that there will be a 1-on-1 date and a group date - which they will all be on! It’s a talent show, so we know what we can expect for this date.

The women enter a studio that has a live audience and they see Jesse and Gerry waiting for them. Kaitlyn Bristowe is along for the date as she will be one of the judges. The winner of the talent show will get a 1-on-1 dinner with Gerry that night - so the stakes are high! The women bring their talents and personalities to the table and everyone has a great night! We love Leslie’s dance, interaction with Gerry, and giving baked goods - it’s a trifecta! Poor Joan is concerned as she feels that she has nothing to offer during this date. She makes a cute poem about her experience upon her first meeting with him and it’s a really genuine moment that everyone can enjoy. The winner of the Group Date is Joan! They sit down to their dinner and get to know each other a bit better. They both talked about how it was after their spouses died they had to navigate claiming their own lives. We can see Joan being a top pick for Jerry as their is an ease between one another. She also receives the Group Date Rose.

The next morning, Joan talks with her daughter and hears that she’s needed at home as her daughter just had a baby and needs her mother. Of course Gerry is excited for his 1-on-1 date not knowing about what he is about to walk into. Joan greets him and tells him what’s going on. Both are visibly upset and Gerry understands while also being upset that she has to make that choice. Every episode has been a tearjerker for one reason or another, we were hoping to see more of Joan and how their relationship would progress. Can we hold out hope that maybe she will come back in future weeks as that has happened before!

One of our favorite designers, Michael Costello met the women to let them know that someone was going to have a big night. He’s there for Ellen and he brings her to a dress paradise for her date. One of the favorite things that we love about this designer is how he creates looks for all body types - so it’s nice to see him on this episode. She emerges in a hot pink dress to go on her date. They talk to get to know more about one another. Ellen wants to know how his wedding was and Gerry admits that although he looks at the pictures, the day is a blur but he sweetly shares how him and his wife didn’t have a lot of money when they started and they would invite their parents over because they would bring groceries! Ellen shares how her marriage which lasted for 25 years was good until she divorced her husband. They also enjoy a hot air balloon and she receives a rose on their date.

Going into the cocktail party and the rose ceremony, the women understand that they need to dig deeper. Watching the dynamics of the women with one another is also interesting as you can see the jealous vibes popping up every now and then between them. Kathy doesn’t like how Theresa continues to overshare and she let Gerry know that there are some people that aren’t kind. She doesn’t throw Theresa under the bus, but she does get a rose! Theresa asks to speak to Kathy to find out if there us a rift. She lets Theresa know that when you’re speaking about your relationship, you need to be mindful of how others feel and that some things should be more discreet. Of course Theresa is upset and cries to Faith about it and Gerry happens to walk into the room and hears about the drama. He’s surprised that Theresa is the one that has been the source of pain.

The rose ceremony begins

Gerry Gave Roses To | April, Ellen, Faith, Joan (but due to a family issue, she has to go home and leave the mansion), Kathy, Leslie, Nancy, Sandra, Susan, and Theresa

Gerry sent home | Edith and Christina

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK SHOULD GO TO HOMETOWNS

APRIL

ELLEN

LESLIE

SANDRA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE

The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival presented by Capital One takes place starting today on Oct 12th - Oct 15th! During these days, there will be a number of signature events, Walk Around Tastings, Intimate Dinners, Demo & Dine, Master Classes, Cocktail Parties, and more! Events will include some of your favorite chefs and Food Network Stars such as Michael Voltaggio, Marcus Samuelsson, Duff Goldman, Eric Adjepong, and Brooke Williamson, who we have included in previous issues of Athleisure Mag!

You'll also find a number of our favorite restaurants and chefs that are involved this year from Rosa Mexicano, The Standard Grill, Buddakan, STK Steakhouse, Pig Beach, Shake Shack, Archer & Goat, 5 Napkin Burger, Little Owl, Serendipity3, Boulud Sud, Fig & Olive, and Lamia's Fish Market to name a few!

Be on the lookout to meet your favorite chef, to taste a dish that will be next level or to be at an event such as Bacardi presents JJ Johnson's The Cookout: Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Celebration featuring DJ CASSIDY, Rev Run, Ice-T, DJ Mick, Tamron Hall, and Angela Yee. We also have our eye out on Brunch at the Blue Box Cafe hosted by Daniel Boulud and Martha Stewart which is at the iconic Tiffany & Co. store on 5th Avenue. There are also a number of intimate dinners with some of your favorite chefs that are presented by Air France. As there are a number of events taking place over these 4 days, make sure to go to the website to see if tickets are still available as some events are sold out.

As you know, Athleisure Mag always enjoys sharing our favorites in food through our indepth articles, our monthly feature The Art of the Snack, Athleisure List, and our podcast Athleisure Kitchen. We're looking forward to this year's festival and in the OCT ISSUE #94, we'll tell you about the events we attended as well as interviews with those that we have covered previously and those that have yet to be included in our issues. Make sure you follow @AthleisureMag across social handles so that you can also see what we're tasting, watching, and attending during that weekend!

To get ready for this year's event, here are some of our favorite moments from last year's festival. Without a doubt, this is definitely a series of events that are not to be missed whether it's enjoying dishes and restaurants that have always been on our list or those that are new to you! Grab your culinary bestie and be prepared for numerous satisfying bites!

IG @nycwff

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Food Network New York Wine Food Festival

Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD NETWORK NEW YORK CITY WINE FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE in mag.

MAKING PRETTY HAIRSTYLES WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAIR CLIPS

Hair clips have a diverse and multifaceted history traced back to ancient civilizations, where they were used as both functional accessories and status symbols. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, used gold, silver, and ivory hair clips adorned with gemstones to signify wealth and power. In the Victorian Era, hair clips became more intricate and delicate, often handcrafted from tortoiseshell or mother-of-pearl. With the advent of the industrial revolution, plastic and metal hair clips became widely accessible and affordable.

Today, hair clips continue to be a staple in the world of fashion and hairstyling. They've been reinvented in countless styles, shapes, and sizes, catering to the diverse tastes and needs of the global population. The resurgence of '90s fashion trends has brought back the popularity of statement hair clips, adorned with pearls, rhinestones, and slogans. In parallel, the rise of minimalist aesthetics has propelled the demand for simple, sleek hair clips. Importantly, hair clips are being embraced not just for their functionality, but also as an expression of personal style and identity.

 

Types of Hair Clips

Hair clips come in various types and styles, each designed for different purposes and to suit various hair textures and styles.

1. Barrettes: Barrettes are a type of hair clip that have a clasp mechanism, allowing them to hold a larger section of hair in place. They are ideal for pulling back medium to long hair and are available in a variety of styles and sizes.

2. Bobby Pins: These are small, versatile hair clips that are great for holding hair in place discreetly. They are often used in up-dos and other hairstyles where securing hair without visibility is key.

3. Snap Clips: Snap clips are typically used for holding back small sections of hair. They have a straightforward design and a simple 'snap' mechanism, making them easy to use.

4. Banana Clips: Named due to their banana-like shape, these clips are great for pulling back longer and thicker hair. They create a full, 'poofy' effect at the back of the head.

5. Claw Clips: Claw clips have 'teeth' that can grip and hold hair securely. They come in various sizes and are used for casual up-dos or to simply pull hair back from the face.

6. Alligator Clips: Alligator clips have a strong spring mechanism and are great for sectioning hair during styling processes. They are typically used by professional hair stylists but are also useful for at-home styling.

7. Hair Combs: Hair combs have teeth that slide into hair and hold it in place. They can be used in a variety of hairstyles and are often adorned for use as a decorative accessory.

8. Hair Jaw Clips: Jaw clips have a long, 'claw-like' shape and a hinge that opens and closes to hold hair in place. They are great for securing larger sections of hair and creating messy, undone looks.

Each of these hair clip types offers unique advantages and can be selected based on the look you're aiming for as well as your hair's length, texture, and volume.

Hairstyles Using Hair Clips

Hair clips can be used to create a multitude of hairstyles, ranging from simple everyday looks to complex, event-ready styles. Here are a few examples:

●      Half-Up, Half-Down with Barrette: This style works well with medium to long hair. Comb your hair to remove any tangles, and gather the top half of your hair as if you’re creating a half-up, half-down ponytail. Instead of a hair tie, secure the section with a barrette. Adjust as necessary to ensure the hair is held securely and comfortably.

●      Side Sweep with Bobby Pins: Perfect for shorter hair or layers that won't stay put. Simply sweep one side of your hair back and secure it behind your ear with a couple of bobby pins. You can add more pins in a crisscross pattern for extra hold and style.

●      High Ponytail with Banana Clip: Comb your hair upwards as if you’re going to make a high ponytail. Apply the banana clip vertically, ensuring all your hair is caught within it. The result is a full, voluminous high ponytail with a classic '80s feel.

●      Messy Bun with Claw Clip: Gather your hair as if you're about to put it in a ponytail, twist it into a bun, and secure it with a claw clip. This effortless look is perfect for casual days when you want your hair out of your face.

Remember, hair clips also serve as decorative accessories, so don't be afraid to experiment with different styles and placements. The most important thing is to embrace your personal style and enjoy the process of creating different looks.

Why Use Hair Clips?

Hair clips offer numerous benefits that go beyond just keeping your hair in place. First and foremost, they are a versatile accessory that can complement any outfit or occasion. Whether you're going for a casual day look or a glamorous evening style, there's a hair clip to match.

Moreover, hair clips are instrumental in reducing damage to your hair. Unlike elastic bands, which can cause breakage and split ends, hair clips secure your hair gently, preventing unnecessary strain.

Another advantage of hair clips is their practicality. They are compact and lightweight, making them a convenient accessory to carry around in your bag or even your pocket. Whether you need a quick fix for a bad hair day or a tool to manage your locks in windy conditions, a hair clip is always handy.

Furthermore, hair clips are an excellent solution for growing out bangs or layers. They allow you to stylishly keep your hair out of your face during that awkward growing-out phase.

Finally, hair clips are an easy and non-permanent way to experiment with different hairstyles. You can transform your look in an instant without committing to a haircut or color. So, whether you're a hair styling novice or a seasoned pro, hair clips are an essential tool in your hair care arsenal.

THE 9LIST

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63MIX ROUTIN3S | ELIZABETH BEISEL

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63MIX ROUTIN3S | INNA

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9LOOKS | DOLCE & GABBANA

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9PLAYLIST | CHRIS LAKE

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ROCK THIS LAYERED STYLE FOR GOING OUT + ABOUT THIS FALL

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.2 | WELCOME TO THE MANSION LADIES

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

It’s the second week of The Golden Bachelor and we get to see the ladies enter the mansion! Seeing the women decide where they will sleep and navigating bunk beds is pretty funny.

Jesse Palmer meets them and asks them how they have settled in. He gives them the date card (which some didn’t know what it was) and Theresa is given a 1-on-1 date with Gerry Turner. We see him get out of a vintage car to pick up Theresa and then we see them driving where he doesn’t have headlights. It seems like they could have had a limo to take them so that it wasn’t such a harrowing experience, but at least it allows them to bond a bit on the way to their destination.

Their date takes place at a diner that seems like it’s out of the 50’s. Hearing them talk about their spouse’s passing, their circle of friends, and navigating that look and moving forward. They even get in on a flashmob that starts up in the diner. She gets the Date Night rose. It’ll be interesting to see what the women will say when she comes back as Theresa’s birthday has been a topic since last week’s episode.

Franco, our fave photographer that’s a friend of ours is taking pictures of Gerry! The group date begins and it’s going to be a photoshoot for a romance novel! The women get to select outfits that include weddings dresses, the 60’s, 70’s and the 80’s. They’re divided into groups that include vibrant colors, summer of love, road to passion, and bridal. Of course there were some who didn’t like their outfits and others who got emotional as wearing the wedding dress made them think of their husbands that passed.

Gerry realizes that Ellen seemed a bit off and he wondered what happened. She let him know that emotions hit her when she wore the dress and he shared how he has had those situation happen as well and he let her know how the scent of cinnamon a few years ago made him think of his wife.

The group date goes straight into a after group date party with the rose out there already. It’s interesting to see how the segments we’ve come to know are still there, but are slightly different to accommodate the flow of this show. The interaction between Leslie and Gerry is pretty cute as she shares that she also wears hearing aids and that how she presents on the outside isn’t exactly who she is inside as she is a lava cake! It’s s fun moment, but ultimately, Nancy gets the group date rose for the night.

The cocktail party is also a birthday party since it’s Gerry’s birthday. Susan popped out of the cake for him and snatched him away to have some 1-on-1 time. Faith also get some time with him and lets him know that she was happy to see him as she got the First Impression Rose, but wasn’t on the 1-on-1 date and the group date. He even gifts Ellen a framed photo from the novel/bridal shoot.

The rose ceremony begins and Leslie, Joan, Edith, Ellen, Sandra, Susan, Christina, Faith, April, and Kathy.

Gerry Gave Roses To | April, Christina, Edith, Ellen, Faith, Joan, Kathy, Leslie, Nancy, Sandra, Susan, and Theresa

Gerry sent home | Jeanie, Natascha, and Peggy

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK SHOULD GO TO HOMETOWNS

APRIL

EDITH

LESLIE

SANDRA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE PICK ME UP

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TYPES OF MEN'S ROBES AND LEARNING THE RIGHT MEASUREMENTS AND FIT FOR YOU

There are several types of men's robes available, each with its own unique features and purposes.

1. Terry Cloth Robes: Terry cloth robes are perfect for wrapping yourself up after a bath or shower. They're made from absorbent cotton which helps you dry off quickly and stay warm.

2. Cotton Robes: Cotton robes are lightweight and breathable, making them perfect for lounging around the house. They're also easy to care for and can be thrown in the washing machine without worry.

3. Waffle Robes: These robes are lightweight and comfortable, making them a good choice for lounging or for use in warmer climates. Their distinctive waffle pattern allows airflow, helping you to stay cool.

4. Fleece Robes: Fleece robes are very warm and cozy, making them ideal for cooler weather or for those who prefer a softer touch against their skin.

5. Satin or Silk Robes: These robes are considered luxury items. The fabric is smooth, shiny, and feels soft to the touch. However, they're not as warm as other types of robes and are often worn for style rather than comfort.

6. Kimono Robes: Originally from Japan, these robes are characterized by their simple tie and wide sleeves. They come in a variety of fabrics and designs, and can be used for lounging or as a lightweight cover-up.

7. Velvet Robes: These robes are made of a plush, luxurious fabric that is soft to the touch. They're perfect for keeping warm in colder weather and add a touch of sophistication to any lounging attire.

8. Flannel Robes: Flannel robes are known for their warmth and softness, making them ideal for those who want to stay cozy during the colder months. Their thick fabric also makes them a great choice for lounging around the house.

9. Hooded Robes: Hooded robes offer an extra layer of warmth and protection for your head and neck. They're perfect for after a shower or on chilly mornings.

Each type of robe is designed to cater to different needs, tastes, and situations, so choosing the right one depends on your personal preference and intended use.

Men's Robes Sizing and Fit

Robe Sizing and Fit

Men’s robes are designed to be comfortable and loose-fitting, but they should also fit well to provide maximum warmth and coverage. Men's robe sizes generally range from small to extra-large, based on standard clothing sizes. Here are some key considerations:

1. Length: The length of the robe is a key factor in its warmth and functionality. Shorter robes are cooling and provide ease of movement, while longer robes provide more warmth and coverage.

2. Sleeve length: Robe sleeves should ideally reach the wrist, but may be designed to fall anywhere from the forearm to beyond the fingertips. Kimono-style robes often have longer sleeves.

3. Wrap: The robe should wrap comfortably around your body with a little extra fabric to ensure a secure closure. Ensure that the belt or tie is long enough to tie comfortably.

4. Collar: Some robes feature a shawl collar, which can be folded up to provide extra warmth around the neck.

Remember, the best fitting robe is the one that you find most comfortable and meets your specific needs. Whether you are buying a robe for lounging, after a bath, or for warmth, get one that fits well and feels good to wear.

Big and Tall Robes

Robes for big and tall individuals are specifically designed to accommodate larger body sizes and longer limbs. These robes typically have extra length in the sleeves and overall robe length to ensure a comfortable fit. Below are a few considerations to keep in mind when selecting a big and tall robe:

1. Size: Robes for big and tall men are usually sized from XL to 3XL or even 4XL. A size chart can be a great tool to help understand which size will accommodate your body best.

2. Length: Tall robes provide the additional length needed for taller individuals. The ideal length is around ankle level for maximum coverage and warmth.

3. Sleeve Length: Look for robes that offer extended sleeve lengths to ensure your wrists are covered and warm.

4. Breadth: Big and tall robes feature ample fabric around the chest and waist to ensure a comfortable fit. It's important to have a robe that wraps around sufficiently for modesty and comfort.

5. Material: Just like standard-sized robes, big and tall robes come in a variety of materials. Choosing between terry cloth, waffle, fleece, silk, or satin depends on personal preference and intended use.

Big and tall robes ensure that everyone can find a robe that fits them perfectly, regardless of their body type or size. So, when you're choosing a robe, make sure to pick one that provides the comfort and functionality you need.

Robe Fit for Different Body Types

Well-fitted men’s robes can make all the difference in achieving comfort and relaxation. Different body types may require specific robe features to achieve an optimal fit:

1. Petite: For individuals who are shorter in stature, knee-length robes are often a practical choice. This length ensures that the robe doesn't drag on the ground or restrict movement. In terms of fit, a more trimmed or fitted silhouette would likely be more flattering and less overwhelming.

2. Plus Size: For plus-sized individuals, a robe that offers a bit more room in the chest, arms, and waist would be most comfortable. A sash tie that can be adjusted for a custom fit can provide flexibility and comfort.

3. Tall: For taller individuals, robes with longer lengths and sleeves can provide the necessary coverage and warmth. The robe should ideally reach the ankles, and the sleeves should extend beyond the wrists.

4. Athletic: For those with a more muscular build, a looser fit in the shoulders and chest can provide a more comfortable experience. A robe that allows enough wrap around the body and a sturdy belt ensures a secure closure.

Remember, the key to a great robe is a great fit. It's always important to consider specific body measurements when choosing a robe to ensure maximum comfort and functionality.

ATHLEISURE BEAUTY

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HOW TO DRESS | WHEN CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS

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#TRIBEGOALS

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IN OUR BAG | WHEN PREPPING FOR PSL SEASON

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PRUNUS CERASUS BEAUTY

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ATHLEISURE MAG ISSUE #93 | MIA MORETTI

In this month’s issue, our front and back cover story is with DJ/Producer, songwriter and poet, Mia Moretti! We have been a fan of her work whether we're seeing her clubs in NY, spinning at Fashion Week and special events or enjoying her music like SWEET JUJU. We find out more about her journey to being a DJ, her creative process, upcoming projects and more. We also interviewed EDM DJ/Producer Timmy Trumpet who recently performed at EZoo, Lollapalooza, and Tomorrowland. His ability to blend his artistry as a classically trained musician with DJing creates a unique experience to his sets. We talk about how he came to merging these musical forms, those he collaborated with, and more. We also talk with house DJ, HoneyLuv who has had a busy schedule performing at a number of festivals and stages. We found out where she gets her inspiration from and why this genre is so important to her.

If you've been enjoying the latest season of Bravo's Real Housewives of NY as much as we have, you know that model and founder of Ubah Hot, Ubah Hassan is one of our faves. We talk with her about being on the show, what led her to create her hot sauce brand, her collaboration with one of our favorite restaurants, Serafina and a pizza update! Dancing with the Stars launched their latest season where DWTS pro and celebrities hit the stage to take the Mirror Ball. We caught up with pro, Britt Stewart to talk about her passion for dancing, shows and projects that she was in, and her road to this show. In addition, via her partnership with BAND-AID and OURTONES products, she is working to bring diversity to dance with access as well as tools that allow their performances to be seamless.

Next month, Food Network's New York City Wine Food Festival takes place Oct 12-15th. We share some upcoming events that are taking place as well as including moments from last year's festival. We look forward to attending this event as well as sharing what took place which will be in the OCT ISSUE #94.

This month’s 9PLAYLIST comes from EDM DJ/Producer, Chris Lake. Our 9LIST STORI3S comes from Ubah Hassan and Britt Stewart. Our 63MIX ROUTIN3S comes from EDM DJ/Producer and entertainer INNA and Team USA Olympic Swimming 2X Medalist Elizabeth Beisel.

Our monthly feature, The Art of the Snack shares a must-visit to Blue Rock in Virginia. This month’s Athleisure List comes from Pasta Corner and Nomad Girl in NYC. As always, we have our monthly roundups of some of our favorite finds.

Read the SEP ISSUE #93 of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.1 | LET'S GET TO KNOW GERRY

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin

So, avid fans of Bachelor Nation know that during the commercial breaks of ABC’s The Bachelorette and The Bachelor, they have always made requests for The Golden Bachelor with focuses on an older demographic. While we watched Charity Lawson’s season, we learned that we would finally get to see it AND that it kicks off tonight! We have all seen Gerry Turner a restaurateur from Indiana share his love story with his wife of 43 years that was his high school sweetheart and it was cut short by her death. He knew what love was and the fact that he is putting himself out there again, it’s something that we can all appreciate regardless of our age! His daughters rallied around him and gave him the support that he needed to give a second love a chance and the series opens with him getting ready in his tux and putting his hearing aid in. We’re already hooked on what this season will be like as well as those that will be vying for his heart! Even The Bachelor’s Matt James’ mom, Patty is in the season! How will this play out as he’s not a social media guy coming into this, he will meet a number of women in this experience, and have the world watching him! It will be interesting to see what elements from the other formulas will find their way into this season!

Jesse Palmer meets him at the mansion and of course asks all the questions that we’ve been thinking prior to and during this process! The limos pull up and we have seen some of the women getting ready and they are all stunning!

Edith kicks us off and she looks stunning in her gold gown and brings confetti to start the party! She looks so regal and it was a great way to kick it off! The stories that these women share and bringing elements of their lives and experiences, it’s so heartfelt. Ellen the spunky pickleball player has also got our eye! Sandra was another that caught our eye leading up to emerging from the limo and her meditation was on another level! Of course, like any limo situation there are a few gags along the way like the “granny routine” from Leslie who is a dancer/choreographer - she dated Prince - need we say more? Theresa and the birthday suit, we can’t even! We also love the Anne Margaret of the group, April! The dresses, the glowy faces, and the personalities - this is definitely going to be a fun season to watch! I love how they have spunk and are sizing each other up! It’s amazing to see how dating is regardless of how old you are.

He met all the women and joins them in the mansion. You can see that he is overwhelmed and appreciative of everyone that has arrived. Of course, April grabs him first to get to talk with him and gives him a calendar of just him! We see other amazing connections begin to start and then there is an all out dance party with everyone!

Jesse brings out the First Impression Rose and everyone realizes that things are getting a bit serious! Gerry continues to chat with each of the women so that they get time. Faith, who rode in on a motorcycle and also wrote him a song and played the guitar, receives it!

The Rose Ceremony begins and Ellen, Theresa, Joan, Natascha, Leslie, Christina, Edith, Nancy, April, Sandra, Jeanie, Kathy, Marina, Peggy, and Susan will continue on. We’re a bit stunned that we won’t see Matt James’ mom in future weeks.

Gerry Gave Roses To | April, Christina, Edith, Ellen, Faith, Jeanie, Joan, Kathy, Leslie, Marina, Nancy, Natascha, Peggy, Sandra, Susan, and Theresa.

Gerry sent home | Anna, Pamela, Patty, Renee, Sylvia,

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO WE THINK SHOULD GO TO HOMETOWNS

APRIL

EDITH

LESLIE

SANDRA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

HOMAGE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP | CHEF JACQUELINE BLANCHARD

We love our meals to be fully seasoned. How we prepare them, the diversity of our ingredients (as well as knowing where they come from), the proper tools needed to create the ultimate presentation are super important. We caught up with Chef Jacqueline Blanchard, chef/owner of Sukeban an izakaya in New Orleans as well as at Coutelier NOLA which has an array of tools, cookbooks, and pantry goods that professional chefs, home chefs, and enthusiasts can enjoy when making their epic meals.

We wanted to know more about her culinary journey that took her from Southern Louisiana to noted Michelin starred restaurants including The French Laundry, Benu, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns where she continued to create dishes with a discerning eye. When she returned to her home state, this led to her taking her experience and relationships to illustrate her passion for Japanese cuisine and to showcase the ultimate crafstmanship in Japanese cutlery. We found out more about these businesses, why this Japanese artistry is one that needs to be continued to pass down for generations to come, and more.

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

CHEF JACQUELINE BLANCHARD: At a very young age. I’m from a very big Cajun family. Food is just the center of most gatherings – pretty much all gatherings from the South. I’m from South Louisiana from Bayou Lafourche – I have very deep Cajun roots. My family has been down here since the late 1700’s, so big French background. Whether it’s been crawfish boils or food in general, food has always been a centerpiece. So for me, I’ve always been cooking at a very young age, My grandparents had a small outdoor kitchen and we would always make breakfast in there. It’s probably my earliest memories. Back in the day, those houses didn’t have a lot of air conditioning so they put small kitchens outside so it was a matter of keeping houses cool and that sort of thing.

I definitely got my roots from tugging at my grandmother's aprons - gumbo, all of the Southern staples and that just kind of stuck with me my whole life. I kind of knew pretty early that I wanted to pursue cooking professionally at a pretty young age. It's kinf of been with me the whole time!

AM: Wow! Tell us about your culinary journey from culinary school to kitchens that you trained in. I know that you were at The French Laundry and were at one of our favorite places, Blue Hill at Stone Barns which is such a fave!

CHEF JB: Yeah! That’s awesome! Totally!

I was lucky enough to go to Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University which has an amazing culinary school. I think that it’s still the only state school in the country that you can get a 4 year culinary degree in Bachelors Arts that is not a private university. It’s very rare that that exists. I had applied and gotten into all the fancy culinary schools: CIA, Johnson & Wales, and all of that. But when it came down to it, Louisiana would pay for my tuition if I kept my grades at a certain level – they had this program called the TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program or Students) program, and plus I had a soccer scholarship as well. So it made sense for me to stay in state. So I was pursuing culinary arts at the same time that I was pursuing soccer at the collegiate level. I kind of kept my discipline together for sure and then I blew my knee out my sophomore year and then decided to just focus on culinary. During that period of time, I felt that it was a pretty revolutionary time in the food industry and in restaurants where things were really starting to get out there and to take hold. This was like the early 2000’s. I went to culinary school between 2002 – 2006 and then frickin’ Katrina happened my senior year in college in 2005. So by the time that I graduated, I had been working in restaurants all throughout New Orleans in college and the city was just in really bad shape in the months leading after the storms so I felt that it was a really good time for me to sort of leave and to branch out.

The French Laundry cookbook had just come out while I was in college and that was a big source of inspiration for me. I think that the reason that I decided to go to Yountville – I just graduated and got in my car and went to California. I never thought that I would come back to Louisiana - ever. I had an amazing foundation built there, networks out there, it was a great launchpad for the next phase ofmy career. From there, I went to Frasca in Boulder, I was a French Laundry alumni and the restaurant had just opened. It was definitely an amazing experience and Bobby Stuckey (The Little Nell, The French Laundry, Scarpetta Wine) is a master sommelier and I really wanted to know more about wine in the same thread in learning about food. Then I went to Blue Hill and then it was back to New Orleans around I think 2010. I worked with John Besh (Besh Steak, Shaya, Willa Jean) at Restaurant August, I was the Exec Sous there for several years. Then I took on a position as a sous chef at Benu in San Francisco where we got 3 Michelin stars while I was there which was a really exciting time. I was also kind of burned out at that point!

AM: Can definitely imagine as you were moving to so many places!

CHEF JB: Yeah, I was traveling a lot and I was around 30/31 at that time and decided that I would move back home so that I could open Coutelier NOLA which is the knife shop and it gave me kind of a break from the grueling kitchens that I had been in all of those years. I still had my finger on the pulse of what the industry needed and places around that had all of these amazing tools and accessories that we had only been able to access online and you never know what you’re really getting a lot of times. Those were the earlier days of ecommerce. I wanted something kind of tangible where you could go and hold a knife. I had been exposed to these amazing Japanese knife makers throughout my career and with people that I worked with and that was great exposure. So it made me understand why Japanese knives are something that we prefer and it’s the Japanese craftsmanship. It’s the handmade nature of them, it’s the diligence to craft that the Japanese have that is basically unparalleled – whether it’s flower arranging, sushi, ceramics, whether it’s knife making. Everything that they do is with the utmost focus and diligence. It really makes their product stand out. So, I think that that was something I really liked and the relationships for me were important and diving as deep as I could into Japanese culture and really respecting the culture and just absolutely giving in the attention to detail that it deserved as well as the reverence. It's such a deep ocean of history! It’s hard for a foreigner – even as deep as I am into it now, you still feel that you are always going to be an outsider kind of thing.

The relationship that evolved out of this that has grown and the networks are really incredible because that’s how it works. That’s just such an important part of the business relationship to them. That’s why I travel there a lot. I really do everything that I can to dive deep in heavily at first into it as I possibly can. You know, along that wave, my food preferences definitely shifted and what I wanted in a restaurant started to shift. I had this idea that I wanted for so long and that completely morphed into what I hadn’t expected, and I decided that I really wanted to open Sukeban which is temaki based you know, doing 1 or 2 things really well like sashimi and temaki. It’s definitely something that everyone thought that it would be a high end tasting restaurant, but it’s certainly a little more casual than that. I’ve been able to bring all of my experience and my focus in that from a Michelin level to the food which makes it stand apart a little bit more in this town. It certainly isn’t the kind of sushi that most people are used to, but that all kind of evolved from the Japanese relationships. The nori, the seaweed that we get, I have a very close relationship with a seaweed farmer in the Southern part of Kyushu in the Ariaki Sea and you know we’re the 3rd restaurant in the US to get their seaweed as a non-Japanese person for our restaurant. We couldn’t get that kind of access to those products without those relationships unless I was going out there and doing those meetings with people. That’s why it is so important to have this access because of the relationships. It’s amazing ingredients from these small producers that do 1 thing really well their entire life. Like, that focus, they have been doing this for generations.

I have a knife maker down in that area that actually helped me link up with this seaweed farmer and they have been around since the 1200’s and their story and their history is just insane. It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around that, especially Americans being so young as a country. It’s just the kind of stuff that blows your mind! The soy sauce makers, the brewers, the sake producers, the people that make miso - every time I go out there, I’m doing a workshop with somebody. I’m making miso, I’m learning how to brew, learning soy sauce. Not that I am doing it over here, but I’m learning that process, and I’m really happy to be able to explain that process to customers and my staff which I think is really important in the long run.

AM: The first time that I went to Japan a few years ago, I was struck exactly by what you just said. I would see modern buildings and then nearby, I’d see a building or structure that had been around so many centuries ago. You’re really struck by how we’re little babies compared to all this history!

CHEF JB: Yeah, it’s so silly!

AM: It is! It makes you think that when we’re here in the US, it’s only been x amount of years.

CHEF JB: Oh yeah, it’s just a blip.

AM: I love the fact that you have really immersed yourself into this and bringing that heritage so that people can have an opportunity to see it. When I think of Blacksmiths, I think of Paul Revere types.

CHEF JB: Yeah!

AM: What are the Blacksmiths of Japan – how are they different, are they using different techniques?

CHEF JB: Yeah I mean, there are different techniques that you see in different parts of Japan and that’s one of the biggest things that I have noticed. Because certain areas have older traditional methods that have been passed down. Certain areas do it one way while others may do it in another way. They all sort of source their steel from 2 similar companies. So steel a lot of times is the baseline and the common denominator, but the forging technique is certainly the difference. It’s like giving 5 different chefs a tomato and then to tell them to make something with it, you’re going to get 5 different products. So it’s the same kind of thing in knife making: heat treating, approach – everyone is an expert in there area. There’s a guy that forges the blade out. There’s a guy that grinds the blade down to its shape, there's someone who sharpens it, there's someone who puts a handle on it, and it's definitely more of an efficient process.

These guys are doing it on their own from start to finish. People ask here in America why knives are so expensive and it’s because they are importing Japanese steel. In Japan, the process is more efficient. You get more production level out of it even though it’s still very handmade and piece by piece.

We ended up in this town a few years ago that was our last trip before COVID. We met a sword maker who was part of this area that is very historically relevant in katana sword making for the shogunate during the time when feudal lords were running the country. This area was very prolific in sword making for that kind of stuff. So, because the river itself had a lot of iron sand in it, they would extract it, melt it down, and then make a steel called tamahagane and that tamahagane steel is very dense and very heavy. It almost feels like a meteorite when you hold it. That was the steel that was originally used, I mean Japan doesn’t have a lot of resources when it comes to steel. So that’s how they made it, they extracted it from the river. There’s a guy there that we met who is making his own tamahagane steel in the old way and you don’t see that any more. You can’t really even buy that steel.

You can in a very sort of limited allotment be part of a family heritage to get it. The fact that this guy is doing that and we were able to watch him and we had dinner with him, he was an unassuming guy who we met when we were going to our knife makers and they let us know about this sword maker who was going to hang out with us. From him randomly joining us, it ended up being a huge highlight of our trip. He only makes a certain amount of chefs knife’s a year, and now we have access to those. That’s where that stuff is born out of. He trusts us and we have a mutual relationship with one another. We have been buying knives from him. It will be the first time that I have seen him from that drip before COVID. So that will be really Exciting! His method of forging is so different than anyone else’s and it’s really hard to describe because he’s a sword maker and that’s the method that he was taught. It wasn’t necessarily meant for culinary style knives in the tradition of sword making. That’s how it was so interesting to see him forged.

These knives are incredibly well made which makes them pricey. People get disgruntled about the price points of some of these. They wonder why the knives that they see in their IG ads are $14.99 and these are $40. We have to create an incentive for this next generation to keep making knives. These knives makers weren’t really making a good living and they weren't charging enough for what they were doing. So we’ve come into this new era where we’re telling them that they have to charge more if they want to make a living as well as to encourage the next generation to be able to keep making knives. A lot of these guys are very old and their sons, because of the time frame when the Japanese economy was booming because of cars, electronics, and plastics – post war WWII, there wasn’t a market for culinary knives from Japan. It just wasn’t a market. Everyone was buying German steel and French knives. That was in the 70’s/80’s/90’s – it wasn’t until the last 20 years where people began paying attention to Japanese cutlery in a lot of ways. It’s not to say that they weren’t making these, they definitely were and there was a market for it in their own country, but they were not exporting. So, a lot of their sons, because there was no – I mean many of these families for 8 generations had these makers, but their son decides to go to off to Tokyo or Osaka to get a salary job because that’s where the money was and that’s where the market and the economy were shifting. So there’s this lost generation right now where the grandfather’s or just that much older and they don’t have the patience to teach. At this point, they should have been with them for their whole life to learn the trade. You’ve got this new group of people who are the younger generation in our age group that are in their 30’s/40’s where this group is trying to revive it and to continue it on.

Some of these guys die and it dies with them. We want this to continue on and we want for people to understand that that’s part of the deal and that they’re handmade, imported, there is a level of craftsmanship that is unparallel, and you have to support a reason for this industry to continue. If they’re not going to be able to make a living, then why will they continue? So that's the kind of shift that we have been noticing too. A lot of times, it takes us to be able to say, you should be charging more for these. I don’t mind paying more for them because I know that I will be able to get it on our side on the retail end and at the same time, we need to make sure that they are supported and continue on. We don’t want to lose this craft.

AM: What are the trends that you’re seeing in cutlery, in the knives right now and are there 3 knives that everyone should have in their home kitchens?

CHEF JB: Yeah! I think that the trend is definitely towards Japanese and I see a lot of marketing towards big Japanese products that are actually not made in Japan and produced in maybe a factory in China. It’s just a Japanese name so it sounds like you’re getting what you’re looking for. Education to us is the most important thing because a lot of that exists out there that you would not otherwise know. I think that the biggest trend is Japanese knives. I think that more and more people are catching on to it. It’s more like, we have to do our diligence to the educational part because you can get lost in the sauce if you really don’t know sort of what you are getting into.

That being said, I think that the 3 knives I would say in everyone’s kit, which even that changes because everyone is so different and knives are so personally. You definitely want to keep in mind what you cook the most of. It may not be the same as what I use or what I cook the most of. So those knife preferences shift and a lot of the Japanese knives are very task centric and they are not limited to those tasks, but they are very specific to the task. So I would say for sure, a Petty Knife and that name derives from the French – petite so it’s a small knife. It’s kind of an everyday utility, it’s a little more utilitarian. I think a lot of people got used to Pairing Knives. To me Pairing Knives, they have their role, but I think you can get more utility out of a Petty Knife and those come in anywhere from 4”-6”. They’re a little slimmer and you can do all of the daily tasks. They’re the ones that you keep on your cutting board.

Another one would be a Santoku - san means 3 and toku means virtues in Japanese. So the 3 virtues in the kitchen are fish, meat, and vegetables so that knife is kind of like the everyday for everything kind of knife. I don’t really use the Santoku a lot, but I think that the bulk of people know that name and they understand that shape. It’s a very approachable size and style.

Then the third one can really be a mixture of a few things. For me, instead of a Santoku, I would use a Bunka. Bunka is just a similar shape, but Bunka Bocho means like everyday house knife in Japanese. It’s got a more extreme tip that I would say verses a Santoku that has more of a rounded off tip and it kind of slumps off. But a Bunka, has more of a very sharp top drop point. So you get a lot more precision in the tip when you’re doing fine scallions. Those little things to me are important and that’s just me over analyzing it – ha! I enjoy a Bunka and that would be my second one and I think for a lot of people the Santoku is a lot more approachable.

The 3rd one could be an 8” chef knife, a Gyuto – gyu is cow in Japanese and uto means cow cutter, so that comes down to what they slice beef with traditionally. This knife is a traditional chef’s knife that’s 8.5” for the everyday.

That third knife could also be a Nakiri that boxy flat edged vegetable knife. It’s the shape of a small cleaver, but it’s not a cleaver for meat. It has a thinner blade meant for vegetable chopping and it has a flatter edge. It’s a more scaled down version of what you would see in a Chinese Cleaver. The Chinese Cleavers are used in Chinese cooking a lot for everything! The Nakiri is more of a very stealthier, scaled down version, more wieldy and easier to use. It’s not as big and it has a flatter edge. It’s better for chopping up and down, not meant for rocking. If you’re a rocker, rocking back and forth, everyone cuts differently.

So it could be one of those, or it could be a slicer. That third knife is kind of a variable within what you do.

AM: Whatever you lean towards in what you’re cooking.

CHEF JB: Exactly. Not to over complicate it!

AM: In addition to knives being offered, what are other items that are carried at Coutelier NOLA whether in your brick-and-mortar or online?

CHEF JB: We’ve got a myriad of products for everyday cooking at home, for professionals, and we wanted home cooks in South Louisiana who are very serious and fancy themselves as professionals at home, they wanted access to these same sort of things. So it’s really nice aprons, the knife rolls, the tool rolls, all of the very curated small tools that we use – the peelers, the microplane, etc. The things that I have used my entire career in the kitchens that I have worked in – everyone is using the same tools and that’s what we wanted to be able to bring people. We wanted a curated scaled down version, because you couldn’t necessarily find it in a one stop shop. You could find the spatulas and these small tools and accessories and items for your everyday kit. We have beautiful hand carved walnut spoons and spatulas from my buddy Kylee Thatcher up in Kentucky, she does Boothill Kitchen and I designed a Roux Spatula Paddle for making Gumbo with her, several years ago. That’s been one of our bestsellers especially down here. We packaged that with Mosquito Supper Club Cookbook which has been one of the bestselling Cajun cookbooks that have come out of South Louisiana in years! Melissa Martin, she has won several awards for it. So we’re catering to our culture in general and of course the overall scope of the tools that we have used. We also have Konro Grills, the Japanese firebox grills that everybody is using now in kitchens. We’ve got a whole pantry section filled with amazing ingredients and Japanese pantry items from very small producers all over Japan and some in the US. We have a lot of tinned seafood and I think that COVID made us pivot to have this pantry section because people were starting to cook at home more and have better ingredients, cooler snacks, and things like that. We try not to get too crazy into it and to still be very diligent about our selections. Like the sesame seeds and the sesame seed products that I use at the restaurant, the Wadaman family in Osaka, I just visited them this past May. They’re 5th generation sesame family who make these wonderful products and we sell it at the shop and we use them in our restaurant. Those are very intentional type of things and we have an incredible cookbook section as well and very dialed in.

AM: I know and myself included, a lot of people enjoy watching Top Chef and 5 Star Chef and all of these different competition shows. It seems like the one thing in addition to flavors and putting it together and that’s plating! The use of plating teasers is always something that we see. What are your tips that we should know when we’re using these tools?

CHEF JB: So I think it’s to the task. Like we have several different ones, we have 4 different sizes. Some are straight, some are offset so whatever is kind of comfortable for you. I have always used them in professional kitchens because you’re dealing with delicate products and delicate placement. I still use them everyday at the restaurant when I am doing sashimi dishes. The larger ones I use on the grill because I don’t like to use big tongs as they’re bulky and clunky. They can also kind of indent your food with the big teeth on the front. So we have these really cool 30mm Tweezers that you can use. I use them on the grill exclusively, but you can also use them for pasta making when you're making spaghetti or anything like that. I use them a lot in just my everyday approach to cooking and grilling. Sometimes they’re not going to be as practical, but you can use them to get into the pickle jar and all of those kinds of things. I use them to prune some of my houseplants. They really do have a good span of use. I keep them in kind of a ceramic crock with the rest of my tools at home and in the kitchen as well as work. I think that they are extremely utilitarian. You don’t want to get your hands too dirty and when you are dealing with delicate ingredients and their placement, they’re great so that your fingers aren’t smudging everything. Especially in a post COVID world, we try to keep our fingers out of things as much as possible and to still have a delicate touch to things.

AM: We talked a little earlier about your restaurant that recently opened. What does the name mean and what can people expect when they are coming in to dine?

CHEF JB: We opened July of last year, so it’s a little over a year now. Sukeban roughly translates to “woman boss” or “girl boss” because there used to be this time in the 70’s/80’s in Japan where there were these women that kind of formed these girl gangs around Tokyo and Osaka. They would meet up after school and women weren’t allowed to be in the male group of anything. So it was a time when women were forming their own independence. Japan is very patriarchal and set in tradition and social roles as well as social norms. So this was a time in Japan where women were coming out of their shell and it was almost like a women’s lib movement that was happening. The Sukeban was the leader of the gang and they formed these little motorcycle groups and they were just these little after school groups. Everybody in Japan wears the same school uniforms and it’s like a little navy sailor attire. After school, they would put these little pieces of flair to distinguish themselves in their group. They were not violent and I thought that it was a cool part of Japanese culture and it sort of died out. It’s represented in films they’re known as Pinky Grindhouse or Tokyo Grindhouse films. The Sukeban has definitely been taken to a fictional level in certain ways. I don’t know if you have seen Quentin Tarantino's (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood) Kill Bill, but the scene where Uma Thurman is trying to get to Lucy Liu and kill 200 people in that room, and she gets to that girl right before her, that’s a Sukeban with the ball and chain.

AM: I was thinking that when you said it. She’s my favorite!

CHEF JB: Yes! So one of my dear friends, she’s a Japanese chef and a woman of many things. She’s a renaissance woman. She’s a graphic designer, she’s a fashionista, she’s a chef and she’s amazing. We met when she stajed with me in New Orleans probably 15 years ago and we became immediate friends. She was a large part of me getting deeply into Japanese culture as I am. She had her café and she wondered what it was that I was going to do? I mentioned this thought and felt that the name was kind of cool and she said that it absolutely made sense. Sometimes the older Japanese people give you a weird reaction, but the younger generation thinks that it totally makes sense. I wanted to make sure that it was kosher and I certainly didn’t want to piss anybody off. Then she ended up designing my logo and really helped me with that process and it kind of represents me in all of the things that I have done and she felt that it was me incarnate. Just like breaking the norm, a lot of times, I was the only woman in the kitchens that I worked in. I took it upon myself to open these businesses. It was kind of born out of that.

What you can expect from us is a really high level and it’s infancy, it’s a Japanese handroll bar. It’s an izakaya and an izakaya literally means, a stay drink place so people have an izakaya that comes in thousands of iterations. It’s usually a pretty late night kind of situation. It’s a bar where you get snacks and things like that. When I go to Japan, we go izakaya hopping at night. We bounce around and everybody kind of does their one thing well and then you go to the next one. The common denominator is that there are drinks involved and it’s a small and calmed down atmosphere and I wanted to create the aesthetic of a lot of the places that I had experienced and to work with my architect on that. It came out to this beautiful space with an L shape bar and very much so the aesthetic that I have been experiencing.

Louisiana is such a huge seafood area and I thought that the parallel between Japan and South Louisiana with the seafood and the rice, and the drinking culture – these are like 3 pillars in a lot of ways. We are a huge rice producing region here, I don’t use Louisiana Rice because we haven’t quite developed the right one yet for sushi, but I do work with a Japanese American family in California, the Koda family at Koda Farms, we use their rice. They’ve just got this amazing story as well. For me, that was the draw. I have always been a big seafood head. Rice growing up as a Cajun is as much a staple as someone who grew up in Japanese culture. We would just eat buttered rice sometimes and we would have these cravings. It was kind of silly, but in a lot of the same ways, it was as important to a Cajun table as it would be to a Japanese table. I’ve always been obsessed with rice and all rice is different and cooks differently and then you look at how to really dial that in. So I wanted to feature that, I wanted to feature seafood besides gulf and Louisiana seafood, we do fly some stuff in from Japan once a week from the Tokyo fish market. We use other amazing domestic fishermen and fisherwomen around the US, sustainable products all over. So our scope on the fish purveyors is pretty wide. Bringing that level and quality of seafood with that nori, that we went to the bottom of Japan for – it’s harvested for us, it’s baked for us, it’s shipped for us. It’s incredibly crunchy and crispy and is good for you. It’s a superfood as well. This food is incredibly healthy as well as premium quality. I really wanted to focus on doing those things well and letting those ingredients speak for themselves. That was the biggest part for me. I didn’t want to over complicate it by putting in too many sauces because oftentimes, you can’t taste the fish or what the star of the dish is. So for me, that is the biggest part of what I wanted to do and to do that really well – sashimi and temaki rolls. That can sound very simple, but when you take the attention and the time to source those things and to make sure that all of these hyper quality ingredients are all in one bite, that for me is everything.

We’ve got a few little apps and starters and things like that. We wanted to have a place where you could get great sake and it’s hard to find great sake down here. Whether it hasn’t been sourced well or whatever, a lot of people would say that they didn’t really like sake because so many people have had bad sake here. Or maybe it’s always served warm and that’s not the only way to consume it. Warm sake does exist, but oftentimes here, it’s a mass shitty sake. So cold sake, we exclusively do cold sake here and I’m constantly going to sake breweries in Japan to understand the process and to better source better sake. I think that in the next 5 years, we’re going to see a mega wave of sake hit the way that we kind of see it coming. You know, there’s a certain kind of underground where a lot of us have this idea in mind of what we’re helping to shape as far as that. It’s like when Natural Wines started having its moment.

It's a similar thing. My friend Shawn Williams, she’s a sake aficionado here in town and we do a lot of small events together. She and I went to a sake event in NY, a few weeks back and went to Le Bernardin and we wanted to see the kinds of sake that they had on the menu. We decided to just drink sake with the whole meal. They had 2 bottles on the menu and that was it. It blew my mind. They were really good and we had both of them and then the somm ended up talking to us for awhile and then he ended up coming as he was off the next night and he went to the event with us.

AM: Yeah, you’re talking about the Joy of Sake?

CHEF JB: Yes, the Joy of Sake. Yeah and that was Brendan Kimball, one of the somms at Le Bernardin. So he came with us and we ended up tasting all night and enjoying sake and then we went to dinner after and now he’s saying it’s ridiculous that they only have 2 sakes when there are so many amazing ones out there. It’s the little stuff like that where I’m excited to see where it goes. There are some sake breweries in Brooklyn, and it’s happening. I think that the biggest part of it is water and that’s number 1 when it comes to sake. That’s why Japan has such great sake – the great water. Here, it’s hard because if you’re not sourcing directly from well, an aquafir or spring water, it’s really difficult when you’re just using filtered water to make sake. It’s kind of creating dead sake without much flavor profile and that’s the difficult part in America that we’re going to have to get over as we’re used to just turning on the faucet. I think that that’s the thing that I learned in Japan. All of these places I visited, there were 300/400 year old sake breweries that are all lined along a river watershed and there’s a reason for that. It’s rice #2 – so it’s water quality and rice quality. The biggest consumer of sake is the Japanese people. If it’s small batches or if they limit out what they can produce a season, the Japanese will consume it all. Oftentimes, we’re left with what’s left and I think that that’s all changing. I think that that besides the temaki and that we did that well, I wanted to make sure that we had an incredible sake selection so it can change people’s ideas on what sake is.

“Louisiana is such a huge seafood area and I thought that the parallel between Japan and South Louisiana with the seafood and the rice, and the drinking culture - there are like 3 pillars in a lot of ways ... For me, that was the draw. I have always been a big seafood head. Rice growing up as a cajun is as much a staple as someone who grew up in Japanese culture ... [I]t was as important to a Cajun table as it would be to a Japanese table.”

— Chef Jacqueline Blanchard

AM: I totally agree and I love drinking it with so many different things!

CHEF JB: Right, same! Pizza!

AM: For sure! Pizza, tacos, chicken wings, steak, there are so many amazing pairings that are perfect for it beyond what many believe to be the fit. I’ve had friends raise an eye when I had it with something that they didn’t think it was meant to be paired with it. Here in NY, there are a lot of options and yet there aren’t.

Right before the pandemic, I feel that 2 or 3 years right ahead of that, people were really big here in NY on cider and cider production and it was having an entire moment and I went to a few places in Brooklyn that were focused on that.

CHEF JB: Right!

AM: I kind of agree with you that sake is the next one that will have that really big effort I hope.

CHEF JB: Exactly! I hope it's not fleeting!

AM: With so much that you do with your restaurant, you have your store, you have these amazing buying and research trips that you’re doing, are there other projects that you're doing that are food event oriented or a cookbook or any of these kinds of things that we should keep an eye out for?

CHEF JB: Not right now. I think that I have mellowed out a lot. I think right now just focusing on the knife shop and the restaurant and not getting myself into too much, too fast – it’s about balancing and that whole dichotomy. Right now, my focus is on travel so I think that the next thing that I would want to do is to host trips in Japan. I think that’s a big part of what I see coming up next for myself and I know that every time I go, people say that they want to go to the next trip and the next trip. You just have this line of people that want to go with you. That’s awesome, but you can’t bring huge groups, but certainly a smaller handful of people. You want to share it with people and it’s hard for me to articulate it to people if they’re not there to experience it. You want to definitely have some shared experience with that. For me, that’s the next big thing. I don’t have a book in the works right now, but maybe down the line. It would be cool to see another location of Sukeban somewhere. I think it’s built to be able to replicate in that way, but not in a franchisee situation. To be able to bring that to another town or another city and that experience is pretty special. My focus is to continue to dial in my relationships and to find more incredible ingredients, more incredible makers. I’ve already been twice this year and I’ll be back a third time in Oct.

I think that for me, that’s the biggest thing. I would like to and I think with the travel aspect, it’s a huge part of it and a bit more immersive for people that don’t know how to access a lot of the things that I have had the privilege of accessing through the years of doing it. I’m more of a simple girl. But now that the restaurant has been there for a year, people are always reaching out for projects and things like that. So local food events like I’m going to do Oyster South out in Georgia this Oct when I get back from Japan. It's a really cool event with a bunch of chefs about sustainable oyster production in the South and things like that. More awareness about sustainable seafood and I’m trying to be more about that conversation and movement a little bit more.

AM: If we were to come to your home, what are 3 spices or ingredients that you have always at the ready at home that can make the most versatile dishes that you enjoy making?

CHEF JB: I definitely think that furikake is one of those – the rice seasoning. It’s sesame, seaweed, a little salt, a little sugar, a little katsuobushi flakes, and bonito flakes. I think that that’s something that I put in a lot of stuff. I go through a lot of it. Definitely chili crisps for sure. Japanese chili crisps are absolutely my favorites and there are a million in one of those things out there now. There’s one in particular that I really love and use and it’s a huge staple that I kind of roll through. I think that tamari, tamari is more on the gluten-free style soy sauce. To me, it's kind of almost a thicker consitency - not syrupy – but thicker than what you use for soy sauce. But it’s this sweet umami packed flavor. You can use it on anything. I use it dress tomato salad, cucumbers, you don’t have to even with just Japanese things. It can be a marinade for chicken, fish, or whatever. It’s just one of those incredibly versatile ingredients. We have it in the shop and the same one that we use in the restaurant is the one that I use at home. It's incredible and I think that it’s one that people don’t think to use a lot. It doesn’t have a dark nature soy sauce or color scheme to it. It’s lighter, but it’s also gluten-free so if you have gluten issues, I’m not, I don’t have them – I just prefer that. Of course the Wadaman sesame seeds just to throw in a fourth. I use them on everything. I roll through that stuff!

AM: I’m sure you do! I would love to have a plate at your house to see what you’re making!

If we were coming over for brunch as we’re still in summer, what would be the meal that you would cook?

CHEF JB: Hmm brunch! It would probably be a crawfish étouffée just to be real. As that’s a very frenchy sort of thing. It’s on the stove all morning and by the time you look at it, it’s ready to go! That or man, that could shift! It could be a crazy bagel and lox spread with Ikura, the Japanese Salmon Caviar or like Trout Roe, stuff like that. I would probably do something along those lines.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chef Jacqueline Blanchard

Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see HOMAGE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP | Chef Jacqueline Blanchard in mag.